Premier League – Newcastle United with Martin Dubravka soon sold – SPORT.sk

The whole saga of the sale Newcastle United has been going on for 18 months, but all indications are that “The Magpies” could soon be transformed into a club with the richest owner in the whole of England. Premier League.

Reliability test, blocking and diplomatic crisis

Businesswoman Stavley and PIF were supposed to join United last year, but the whole process met with strong opposition not only from the Premier League, but also from Amnesty International and some participants in the competition. Especially those from the “top six”.

There were several problems. A complication was, for example, the long-running diplomatic dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia (SA), which also included a ban on the broadcast of the Qatari company beIN Sports in Saudi Arabia.

The well-known television station has an extremely lucrative contract with the Premier League, thanks to which it can bring competition matches in the Middle East and North Africa, but not in Saudi Arabia, where it pirated beoutQ matches illegally.

Another problem in the eyes of the Premier League was the possible connection of PIF with the Saudi state, which faces mass allegations of human rights violations. Even Amnesty International opposed the sale.

Read also

PHOTO: Ultra luxury home of a possible owner of Newcastle United. He wouldn’t be ashamed …

“In our view, this is just an attempt by the Saudi authorities to cover up their threatening human rights record with a gleaming entry into football. It is more about improving the overall image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his government than about football, “ quotes the BBC director of the organization in Britain Sasha Desmukhova. In addition, they associate the controversial bin Salman with the Saudi government and suspicion of involvement in the murder of local journalist Jamal Hashukji.

Potential new owners were due to undergo a “reliability test” by the Premier League in April last year, which ultimately failed because the Saudi consortium decided to abandon plans due to a complicated and lengthy process. Newcastle United, led by owner Mike Ashley, sued the Premier League last November for a failed change of ownership and there seemed to be nothing from the sale of “The Magpies”.

Photo gallery

Callum Wilson, Newcastle United

Source: TASR

Big turnaround. Only official confirmation remains

When it seemed that the whole business had definitely failed, the latest news from England says the opposite. For example, the club’s lawsuit against the Premier League helped revive the sale. According to Newcastle, the management of the competition should have deliberately complicated the “reliability test” of the new owners, thus achieving the withdrawal of the future buyer from the plans. The competition also faced allegations that it deliberately blocked sales due to lobbying by other clubs or Qatari television beIN Sports.

The fact that the “media crisis” between Qatar and Saudi Arabia was averted by the cessation of the pirate television beoutQ and the unblocking of beIN Sports in the country, which is considered to be the most key step, also moved the sales ice considerably. At the same time, the public investment fund is to be seen as an organization that has no connection to the Saudi state.

Although the arbitration proceedings are expected to result in January 3, according to BBC Sport sources, the Premier League has already managed to find common ground with the group, which is to join the North English club. “Newcastle United will never be the same again after the sale, which will be confirmed soon,” writes a local periodical The Chronicle.

“We are just waiting for confirmation at the moment. The sale of the club is ready, the money is transferred and the Premier League also signed it. There is only one left – the official announcement. It can happen at any moment, ” wrote the editor of The Athletic on the social network Twitter George Caulkin and in a similar vein it is expressed as well Sky Sports: “All stakeholders believe that the sale of Newcastle United will be confirmed today.”

Current owner Mike Ashley is to collect approximately £ 300 million for the sale of the four-time English champion, ending his 14-year career in the club. After the entry of the new owner at the stadium St. James’ Park is from the team whose jersey is also worn by the Slovak national team Martin Dúbravka, become one of the richest clubs in Europe.

According to some sources, the controversial Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman controls part of the royal family’s enormous wealth, which is estimated at a staggering $ 1.4 trillion.

The emotional speech of Tomáš Rosický, which aroused the players: