Off The Pitch

⚽️ Morning Snapshot 👔 Huddersfield Town Football Club have confirmed the departure of Mark Cartwright from his position as Sporting Director. 👔 Andreas "Zecke" Neuendorf has stepped down with immediate effect from his role as Director of the Academy and Professional Players at Hertha BSC GmbH & Co. KGaA, citing personal reasons. 🤝 Hull City and KCOM have extended their agreement, with KCOM remaining the Tigers’ official community partner for a further three years. 🤝 From the 2025/26 season, AdeptView will become the new sleeve sponsor of AZ Alkmaar. The Dutch-Indian IT firm, based in Utrecht, has signed a three-year deal with the club. #Partnership #Broadcasting #SportsBusiness #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment

⚽️ Morning Snapshot 👔 Sarah Kendall is set to join The Football Association as head of commercial partnerships. She departs her role as managing director at the sport and entertainment agency Fuse. 👔 Andreea Koenig has been appointed president of Racing Club de Lens Women. She has served on the club’s board since 2019 and now steps up to lead the women’s team. 👔 Sofia Arhall Bergendorff is set to join the board of PARKEN Sport & Entertainment A/S, owner of Danish club F.C. København. 🤝 Eredivisie CV and Deventrade BV have renewed their partnership, ensuring DERBYSTAR remains the official match ball supplier for the Dutch top flight. 🤝 CBF- Confederação Brasileira de Futebol - Brazil SOCCER has extended its partnership with Sportradar Integrity Services. 🤝 KRC Genk have extended their partnership with The Coca-Cola Company until 2030.   🤝 Valencia CF have renewed their agreement with AMIX ADVANCED NUTRITION for a further two seasons. 🤝 Paris Saint-Germain have extended their partnership with Visit Rwanda until 2028, marking nine years since the collaboration began in 2019. #Partnership #Broadcasting #SportsBusiness #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment

⚽️ Morning Snapshot 👔 Alicia Ferreiro Duran has been appointed director of organisation and quality at RC Celta. 👔 A.C. ChievoVerona have announced Pietro Laterza and Luigi Tavernise as their new majority owners. Laterza takes over as president, Tavernise as vice-president. Enzo Zanin joins the board. 🤝 Club Brugge have extended their partnership with ConXioN, who will remain an official partner until 2028. 🤝 AZ Alkmaar have confirmed Innova Energie as the new main sponsor of their women’s team. Previously a back-of-shirt sponsor, the company will now feature on the front of the kit until mid-2027. 🤝 Canada’s new professional women’s league, the Northern Super League (NSL), has announced a partnership with Stats Perform to provide live Opta data across its first three seasons. #Partnership #Broadcasting #SportsBusiness #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment

⚽️ Morning Snapshot 👔 Zvonimir Boban has been appointed as President of the Board at GNK Dinamo Zagreb. 👔 Jean-Claude Blanc is stepping down from his role as a director at Manchester United to assume a new position as Chief of International Football Relations and Special Advisor to the Board. 👔 Igli Tare is in advanced talks with AC Milan to become the club’s new Sporting Director. #Partnership #Broadcasting #SportsBusiness #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment

⚽️ Morning Snapshot 👔 Felipe Minambres Fernández will join Club Deportivo Tenerife, S.A.D.’s board of directors as general manager from 1 July. 🤝 FC Barcelona have introduced Barça Mobile, a virtual mobile operator launched in collaboration with New Era Visionary Group (NEVG), the club’s official telecoms partner. 🤝 Malaga Club de Futbol S.A.D. have entered into a partnership with Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio (UAX), naming the university the club’s official educational partner. #Partnership #Broadcasting #SportsBusiness #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment

Portugal is quickly becoming a prime destination for football M&A activity, with investors flocking to its clubs in search of both financial and sporting returns. Early 2025 has already seen key acquisitions, including CD Tondela and FC Alverca Futebol SAD, with Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior among the latest high-profile investors. Pavel Montero Freiria, Executive Director at Tifosy Capital & Advisory, highlights Portugal’s appeal to foreign investors, particularly multi-club ownership (MCO) groups looking to expand their portfolios. Meanwhile, Tiago Lopes, CEO of Casa Pia Atlético Clube - Oficial emphasizes the on-the-ground impact of foreign capital, stressing the need for sustainable investment to ensure long-term league stability. #Partnership #Broadcasting #SportsBusiness #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment #Newsletter

⚽️ Morning Snapshot 👔 Frank Baumann has been appointed as FC Schalke 04’s new board member for sport. 🤝 Chelsea Football Club have announced an innovative global partnership with FPT Corporation (FPT), a Vietnamese technology solutions provider, to drive their global transformation. 🤝 Aston Villa Football Club have entered into a multi-year partnership with Legends, a global premium experiences company, to support the strategic growth of the club’s aim to modernise and transform Villa Park into a world-class sports and entertainment venue. 🤝 AFC Ajax and Olympia have expanded their partnership, with the employment agency becoming the official back-of-shirt sponsor of the club from next season until at least 2027. 🤝 AZ Alkmaar have extended their partnership with Voetbalshop® (Voetbalshop.nl & Voetbalshop.be) until mid-2030. 🤝 Brøndby IF have entered into a multi-year collaboration with Opendo, which will become the shirt sponsor of the club from next season. #Partnership #Broadcasting #SportsBusiness #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment

French football is walking a financial tightrope, with Ligue 1 clubs experiencing a rise in revenues for 2024 - yet the stability of their finances is increasingly in question. We’ve analysed the financial accounts of all clubs, and while commercial income has grown and matchday revenue has improved, escalating costs and player wages are creating sustainability concerns. With the conclusion of the CVC funding in 2024, clubs are becoming more reliant on player sales to improve EBIT, raising further questions about the long-term viability of this financial strategy. Insights from broadcast consultant Pierre Maes highlight the risks ahead, as the league could face mounting economic pressure. 1. How are rising revenues masking financial instability in French football? Despite growth in commercial and matchday income, the rise in expenses—particularly player wages and transfers—has created an unsustainable financial environment. The conclusion of the CVC funds in 2024 only compounds these pressures, with clubs needing to balance the books without this external support. 2. Why are player sales becoming crucial for Ligue 1 clubs' financial health? With operating losses increasing and broadcasting revenues stagnating, Ligue 1 clubs have come to rely heavily on player sales to report positive EBIT. This strategy, however, is only a temporary fix that obscures underlying financial inefficiencies and isn’t a viable long-term solution. 3. What implications does the financial situation in Ligue 1 have for other European leagues? The financial difficulties faced by French clubs—stemming from dwindling broadcasting deals and reliance on CVC funds—serve as a cautionary tale for other European leagues, believes Pierre Maes. As broadcasting revenues continue to face downward pressure, other clubs may soon find themselves in a similar financial bind. Read article 👇 https://lnkd.in/dAQHA46K #Partnership #Broadcasting #SportsBusiness #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment

⚽️ Morning Snapshot 👔 Bernard Schuiteman will become the Dutch club RKC Waalwijk’s new Technical Director at the end of the season, taking over from Mo Allach, who departs after five years at the club. 👔 Rudi Völler has extended his contract with the German Football Association (DFB) as director of the men’s national and U21 teams through to 2028. 🤝 City Football Group and Oak View Group have launched Eastlands Venue Services, a joint venture aimed at streamlining operations and catering across the Etihad Campus, including Manchester City Football Club and the Co-op Live arena. 🤝 Athletic Club and streaming service MAX have partnered to promote the second season of The Last of Us, with the series logo to appear on the team’s kit for the upcoming match against Rayo Vallecano. 🤝 Villarreal CF and IES Miralcamp de Vila-real have renewed their partnership, enabling students in sports-related programmes to continue gaining hands-on experience at the club’s facilities. #Partnership #Broadcasting #SportsBusiness #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment

⚽️ Morning Snapshot 👔 Emilio Garcia Duarte has been appointed as the new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Real Betis Balompié, joining after a 15-year stint with the National Basketball Association (NBA). 👔 Nicolas de Tavernost is poised to become the new CEO of LFP Media, the commercial rights division of LFP - Ligue de Football Professionnel. 🤝 Danish club Brøndby IF have signed a three-year agreement with Boozt, making them the naming sponsor of the stadium’s east stand. 🤝 PepsiCo has extended its sponsorship of UEFA Women’s Football through to 2030, ensuring continued brand presence at matches including the Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s EURO 2029. 🤝 Major League Soccer and ScorePlay have unveiled a strategic partnership, with the media asset management platform set to enhance the league’s capacity to manage and distribute content. #Partnership #Broadcasting #SportsBusiness #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment