THE FOOTBALL BUSINESS NETWORK DAILY: 5th June 2025
FIFA's Club World Cup circus comes to Cincinnati, MLS finds another cap to tip, Qatar Airways spreads its wings further, Man United's shopping spree defies logic, and Chelsea's creative accounting get
🏆 THE FIFA CIRCUS ROLLS INTO TOWN
FIFA's shiny new Club World Cup has descended upon Cincinnati's TQL Stadium like a travelling carnival that nobody particularly asked for but everyone will pretend to be excited about. Four matches featuring Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and assorted globe-trotting clubs will grace the pitch from 15th-25th June, because apparently what football truly needed was another tournament to squeeze into an already bloated calendar.
The presence of Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in the 32-team extravaganza adds the requisite stardust that FIFA desperately craves, though one suspects the GOAT might be questioning his life choices as he contemplates group stage matches against Egyptian side Al Ahly. Meanwhile, the tournament's expansion from its modest annual format to this sprawling month-long spectacle perfectly encapsulates FIFA's philosophy: if it makes money, multiply it by ten.
What's particularly delicious is watching DAZN scramble to sublicense rights across various territories after securing the global broadcast deal. Nothing says "confidence in your product" quite like immediately trying to offload chunks of it to anyone with a chequebook. The streaming giant's strategy of hoovering up rights first and figuring out how to monetise them later is becoming a case study in how to turn gold into lead through sheer corporate hubris.
The irony isn't lost that Cincinnati, home to a fairly mediocre MLS side, gets to host some of Europe's finest while FC Cincinnati presumably watches from their sofas. Still, at least the city's 11 venues across America will generate plenty of travel chaos for fans foolish enough to follow their teams across multiple states. FIFA's commitment to "bringing fans closer to the action" apparently involves making them traverse entire continents.
[Read more: Cincinnati Enquirer]
🧢 NEW ERA DISCOVERS FOOTBALL EXISTS
Major League Soccer has finally convinced someone outside the world of baseball that American football—sorry, soccer—might actually be worth a punt. New Era Cap, the kings of making overpriced headwear for people who think wearing the right logo makes them athletes, has swooped in to become MLS's official on-field cap partner with all the enthusiasm of someone discovering a tenner in last year's coat pocket.
The deal grants New Era production and distribution rights for all 30 MLS clubs, which sounds impressive until you remember that half of those clubs have the brand recognition of a regional insurance company. Still, credit where it's due: timing the announcement for peak summer is shrewd, especially when you consider that most MLS fans spend home matches hiding under whatever shade they can find whilst questioning their life choices.
What's particularly amusing is the language around this partnership accelerating "soccer's momentum" in the US. Because nothing says authentic football culture quite like dropping £40 on a snapback with your local franchise's logo embroidered by the lowest bidder. The beautiful game, commodified into perfectly fitted headwear for the Instagram generation.
New Era's recent licensing deal with Le Mans suggests they've decided sports are sports, whether it's watching millionaires drive in circles or watching millionaires kick a ball about. The strategy seems to be: find events where people gather, then sell them things to put on their heads. Fair play, really—it's worked for organised religion for centuries.
[Read more: SportCal]
✈️ QATAR AIRWAYS SPREADS ITS WINGS FURTHER
FIFA's Club World Cup has gained another sponsor in Qatar Airways, because apparently the tournament wasn't quite dystopian enough without the official airline of a country that definitely, absolutely didn't buy the 2022 World Cup, honest guv. The Doha-based carrier's expansion of its existing FIFA partnership to include the Club World Cup is about as surprising as finding sand in the desert—inevitable, predictable, and slightly irritating.
Qatar Airways' sponsorship portfolio reads like a who's who of "definitely not sportswashing" initiatives: PSG, Inter Milan (both competing in the tournament, naturally), and a UEFA deal valued at over half a billion dollars by GlobalData Sport. The airline's commitment to "offering fans exclusive experiences" presumably doesn't extend to explaining how a country with fewer people than Greater Manchester managed to secure every major tournament going.
The timing is exquisite, really. Just as the dust settles from the Winter World Cup fiasco, here comes Qatar Airways to remind everyone that yes, they're still very much in the football business. The brand will feature "prominently around the branding for the CWC," which is corporate speak for "you literally cannot escape our logo even if you try."
DAZN's global rights deal for the tournament continues to look like the streaming equivalent of buying a lottery ticket with money you can't afford to lose. The service has been frantically sublicensing chunks of coverage, suggesting either incredible business acumen or mild panic. Given the precedent set by similar ventures, smart money's on the latter.
[Read more: Via SportCal Business]
💸 MANCHESTER UNITED'S FINANCIAL MASOCHISM
Manchester United's approach to the transfer market continues to defy both logic and mathematics, with the club somehow finding £62.5m for Wolves' Matheus Cunha whilst simultaneously claiming to be broke enough to sack 400 employees. The addition of a potential £45m+£10m deal for Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo suggests United's definition of "financial restraint" differs significantly from the rest of humanity's.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire's assessment that United could "spend £150m without breaking into a sweat" rather undermines the narrative of a club on its knees. Apparently, the doom and gloom surrounding Old Trafford has been somewhat exaggerated, which is shocking news to absolutely nobody who's paid attention to the Glazers' creative accounting over the years.
The beautiful irony of Bruno Fernandes rejecting Al-Hilal's £80-100m overtures is that United desperately need the money but can't bear to part with their captain. It's the football equivalent of being skint but refusing to sell the family silver because it matches the curtains. Meanwhile, Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues his charm offensive amongst staff, who reportedly booed him at a Europa League screening—the football equivalent of being jeered at your own birthday party.
PSR calculations based on Red Football Ltd rather than Manchester United plc apparently paint a rosier picture, though parsing United's corporate structure requires a degree in forensic accounting and a strong stomach for financial chicanery. The suggestion that selling academy graduates generates "pure profit" explains why clubs treat their youth systems like ATM machines with cleats on.
[Read more: BBC Sport]
🏦 CHELSEA'S ACCOUNTING WIZARDRY GETS THE STAMP OF APPROVAL
The Premier League has officially blessed Chelsea's hotel sales to related companies, which is roughly equivalent to your local tax office applauding your creative interpretation of "business expenses." The Blues' flogging of two hotels for a restated £70.5m (down from an original £76.5m, because even creative accounting has limits) has been rubber-stamped by the league, though the £200m valuation on their women's team remains under "assessment."
The beautiful thing about associated party transactions is that they must be conducted at "fair market value," which is accountancy speak for "we'll make the numbers work somehow." Chelsea's ability to generate a £129.6m net profit through strategic asset disposal is the sort of financial alchemy that would make medieval wizards weep with envy.
What's particularly delicious is that whilst the Premier League has given Chelsea's hotel deals the all-clear, UEFA is apparently less convinced about these accounting gymnastics. The prospect of the Blues facing a European financial settlement suggests that different governing bodies have different tolerances for creative bookkeeping—shocking, really.
The fact that Premier League clubs opted against changing rules around fixed asset sales back in 2021, then again last summer, suggests either remarkable foresight or a collective understanding that everyone might need these loopholes eventually. Meanwhile, the EFL's tougher stance on such transactions proves that financial propriety is inversely related to how much money is sloshing around your league.
[Read more: Via SportsPro Media]
💼 JOBS WORTH DOING (OR AT LEAST PRETENDING TO)
The Albion Foundation - Community Engagement Coordinator (West Bromwich)
West Bromwich Albion's charitable arm seeks someone to engage the Sandwell community, presumably whilst maintaining a straight face about the Baggies' Championship status. Enhanced DBS check required—presumably to ensure you won't flee when discussing the club's Premier League prospects.
[Apply: WBA]
Hospitality and Events Hosts (Stoke-on-Trent)
Stoke City requires faces to greet punters at the bet365 Stadium, with evening availability essential for those thrilling Tuesday night Championship fixtures. Perfect for anyone who enjoys explaining why the Potters aren't actually in the Premier League anymore.
[Apply: Stoke City]
Content Coordinator (Hyderabad, India)
DAZN seeks someone to coordinate content across 200+ global markets, because managing sports rights across multiple time zones whilst football fans complain about everything is clearly someone's idea of fun. Sports knowledge of boxing and MMA required—presumably for when things get properly brutal.
[Apply: DAZN]
Content Editor - Technology (Hyderabad, India)
Another DAZN role, this time editing help centre articles and FAQs. Perfect for those who enjoy explaining to confused subscribers why their stream died during the crucial penalty. Four years' experience in making complex things simple required—good luck with that.
[Apply: DAZN]
Marketing Intern (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Tonsser, the football app for young players, wants someone to help build their brand in the Netherlands. Tasks include managing tone of voice and working with Eredivisie clubs—presumably whilst keeping a straight face about transforming youth football through technology.
[Apply: Tonsser]
💡 QUICK HITS
DAZN's global Club World Cup rights deal continues to look like an expensive bet on whether anyone actually wants to watch 32 teams play 64 matches over 30 days
Qatar Airways' sponsorship expansion proves that owning half the football world is apparently still not enough
New Era's MLS partnership suggests American sports marketing has finally run out of baseball metaphors
Chelsea's accounting creativity makes medieval alchemy look straightforward
Manchester United's transfer strategy continues to operate in a parallel universe where mathematics is optional
📈 MARKET WATCH
The football business continues its inexorable march towards complete commercialisation, with tournaments multiplying faster than reality TV shows and sponsorship deals resembling a global game of corporate musical chairs. Meanwhile, clubs' creative approaches to financial regulations suggest accountancy firms are the real winners in modern football.
Tomorrow: More evidence that football and common sense remain mutually exclusive