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Football: bought by a Saudi fund, Newcastle becomes the richest club in the world ahead of PSG

2021-10-07T21:49:37.373Z


With an estimated financial capacity of 400 billion euros, this Saudi fund allows the Magpies, currently penultimate of Premier Le


Earthquake on the football planet.

A Saudi fund officially seized Thursday of Newcastle, a club in the north-east of England, after long negotiations and despite opposition from human rights associations.

"We are extremely proud to become the new owners of Newcastle United, one of the most famous clubs in English football," said Saudi fund boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan in a statement.

The club, owned for 14 years by British businessman Mike Ashley, is now owned by a consortium comprising the Saudi investment fund, PCP Capital Partners and brothers David and Simon Reuben, a takeover that has received the green light of the Premier League.

To read alsoKhashoggi: a murder "validated" by the prince "MBS", according to American intelligence

The body which oversees the English Championship had however been arrested earlier Thursday by Amnesty International, the NGO being alarmed at a takeover by a sovereign fund of Saudi Arabia, and describing the human rights situation as "disastrous In the country ruled de facto by Crown Prince Mohammed ben Salman.

A transaction of 333 million euros

The Saudis had already tried to acquire the "Magpies" during the summer of 2020, without success, handicapped by the personality of the crown prince, accused of multiple violations of human rights.

The second attempt is finally the right one, the club being "sold to the consortium with immediate effect" according to a statement from the Premier League, specifying that the organization has "received legally binding guarantees that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control the Newcastle United club ”.

The sale, which amounts to around 300 million pounds (333 million euros) according to British media, represents a "long-term investment" according to the CEO of PCP Capital Partners, Amanda Staveley, who adds aiming for “major trophies”.

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Returning to the Premier League in 2017 after a year in the second division, this popular club from the north-east of England is in 19th place after 7 matches, while the club's last heyday dates back to the 1990s, when the training led by coach Kevin Keegan and striker Alan Shearer struggled unsuccessfully for the league title.

Newcastle entered the circle of clubs dependent on the immense fortunes of the Gulf countries, after Manchester City passed the Emirati flag in 2008 and the takeover of Paris Saint-Germain by the Qatari investment fund QSI in 2011. With an estimated fortune at 400 billion euros, this investment fund therefore allows the current 19th Premier League to exceed the fortunes of investors from Manchester (30 billion) and PSG (250 billion) and become the richest club in the world (potentially).

Joy scene among supporters

Saudi power thus marks a little more its presence in the world of sport, while the country has hosted major car races such as the Dakar rally since 2020, or soon a round of the Formula 1 world championship, a way of responding to the ambitious policy of its regional rivals like Qatar, hyper-present for a decade with the culmination of the organization of the 2022 World Cup.

The tension between Saudi Arabia and Qatar had already appeared on the sports field, when the Qatari channel BeIN Sports accused Saudi Arabia of being behind BeoutQ, a system of pirating sports images.

The recent resolution of this incident had revived rumors of redemption, until formalization Thursday.

Read alsoPSG-Manchester City: why Qatar and the Emirates hate each other so much

If former club players have expressed their joy and hundreds of supporters have gathered around the legendary St James'Park to celebrate this takeover, the eruption of such power in English football also worries campaigners. human rights, explicitly targeting “MBS”.

Before the takeover became official, Amnesty International called on the Premier League to tighten the criteria to be able to acquire a football club in England.

"Instead of allowing people involved in serious human rights violations to enter English football simply because their pockets are full", the NGO had "urged the Premier League to change its criteria (for selection ) of the owners and directors ”of its clubs.

Reuters / Lee Smith

Ben Salman has been named by Turkish and American officials as the sponsor of the October 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

“MBS” later said he took responsibility for the murder as a leader, but denied any knowledge of it before it was committed.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-10-07

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