Governing Bodies
Factbox: Timeline of Chelsea’s sale
Following is a timeline on the sale of Premier League soccer club Chelsea, who have been sold by Roman Abramovich to a consortium led by LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and backed by Clearlake Capital.
Feb. 24
Abramovich is named in Parliament as Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled Britain’s largest-ever package of sanctions against Russia after the country invaded Ukraine.
Feb. 26
Abramovich gives trustees of Chelsea’s foundation stewardship of the club amid calls in Britain that the Russian be sanctioned over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
March 2
Abramovich says he has decided to sell Chelsea and promised to donate money from the sale to help victims of the war in Ukraine as clamour for sanctions grows, but adds the sale will not be fast-tracked.
March 4
A consortium led by American Boehly and Swiss business tycoon Hansjoerg Wyss enters the fray to make a bid for Chelsea.
March 10
Britain halts planned sale of Chelsea and imposes sanctions on Abramovich, effectively placing the club under government control.
The team is allowed to carry on playing but the government said it was open to selling the club as long as Abramovich himself did not benefit.
March 11
Potential buyers for Chelsea told to approach the government. The club is permitted to operate under strict conditions which prevent transfer deals and new ticket sales while club merchandise store is closed.
March 12
The Premier League board disqualifies Abramovich as a director at the club after he was sanctioned by the government.
March 13
British property developer Nick Candy says he will give Chelsea fans a seat on the board if he buys the club and also provide short-term funding.
March 16
The owners of U.S. baseball outfit the Chicago Cubs team up with Citadel founder Ken Griffin to work on a bid to buy Chelsea.
March 19
Former British Airways chairman Martin Broughton says his consortium bidding for Chelsea comprises wealthy investors from around the world. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe joins the consortium.
March 24
British government amends Chelsea’s special licence to allow the club to sell tickets to fans for away games, with all revenue going to competition organisers.
March 25
U.S. Bank Raine Group, overseeing the club’s sale, adds Boehly’s group, the Ricketts family and Broughton’s group to the shortlist of bidders.
April 12-13
American investor Stephen Pagliuca hints at being prepared to divest his interest in Italian club Atalanta to buy Chelsea as he prepares to submit a bid.
NBA chairman Larry Tanenbaum and former Chelsea captain John Terry join Pagliuca’s bid.
April 15
The Ricketts family pulls out of the running to buy Chelsea citing “unusual dynamics around the sales process”.
April 21
Former tennis world number one Serena Williams and seven-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton join Broughton’s bid to buy Chelsea.
April 29
The consortium led by Boehly is in exclusive negotiations to buy Chelsea for $3 billion.
Pagliuca’s group is told they are not the ‘preferred bidder’ and are out of the running but British businessman Jim Ratcliffe says he made a late bid to buy Chelsea.
May 5
Abramovich denies media reports that he has asked for his loan to Chelsea — reported to total 1.5 billion pounds ($1.90 billion) — to be repaid.
Ratcliffe says he is not giving up a bid to buy Chelsea despite apparent rejection from Raine.
May 7
A consortium led by Boehly and backed by Clearlake Capital wins the bid to acquire Chelsea in a deal worth 4.25 billion pounds ($5.38 billion).
The proposal is sent to the government and Premier League for approval.
May 24
The Boehly-Clearlake consortium passes the Premier League Owners’ and Directors’ Test, paving the way for the club’s takeover.
May 25
The British government issues a licence that permits the sale of Chelsea to the Boehly-led consortium.
May 26
Portugal gives Abramovich the green light to sell Chelsea. The Russian-born billionaire became a Portuguese citizen last year and is under European Union sanctions.
May 28
Chelsea strike a final agreement to sell the club to the Boehly-led consortium.
May 30
Abramovich completes sale of Chelsea and related companies to an investment group led by Boehly and Clearlake Capital, who will share joint control and equal governance of the club. Chelsea say Boehly will serve as chairman of the holding company.
Reuters
The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) will hold its Executive Committee (“EXCO”) meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, 21 October 2024.
The Executive Committee meeting, to be chaired by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, will start at 10h30 local time (07h30 GMT).
The meeting will be held ahead of the 46th Ordinary General Assembly which will also take place in the Ethiopian capital on Tuesday, 22 October 2024 at 10h00 local time (07h00 GMT).
Wahid Oshodi, the newly elected President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) has made an immediate call to the private sector to boost table tennis on the continent.
His approach focuses on not relying solely on public funds but on seeking corporate investment to elevate the sport.
He has launched an ambitious strategy to strengthen the development of table tennis in Africa.
His first step has been to solicit the backing of the private sector, which he sees as crucial to taking the sport to the next level.
In his inaugural address, Oshodi emphasised that relying exclusively on government funding and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) “will not be enough to boost the sport across the continent.”
“It’s time to involve private and corporate organisations to help table tennis flourish in Africa.
“We cannot continue depending solely on government funding. We aim to raise the standards and produce more African superstars who can shine globally,” stated the new ATTF president, seeking a significant financial injection to tackle the challenges and ambitions set out for his tenure.
His election, held on 15 October in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was unanimous. Indeed, a clear acknowledgement of his international reputation and dedication to table tennis.
Oshodi, who was previously elected Vice President of the ATTF in 2019 and Executive Vice President of the ITTF in 2021, has more than proven his ability to lead the sport’s development both in his home country and across the continent.
The Lagos-born leader is not only focused on funding but also on fostering unity among ATTF member associations. He believes that a united continent will be stronger and better positioned to succeed on the global stage. “Unity is key. Together, we can achieve more for table tennis in Africa,” he added.
Governing Bodies
Sanusi set for record-extending tenure as Nigeria’s football politicians assemble in Asaba
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Speculations gathered ahead of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation holding in Asaba on Friday have it that tenure elongation for the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, is a major item on the agenda.
Neither formal confirmation nor denial has been issued since one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, ThisDay dropped the hint.
The agenda of the meeting is also not made public. Dr, Sanusi is the longest-serving General Secretary in history having been in office from 30 March 2015 making 3,476 days or nine years six months and four days.
It easily drowned that of his closest rival in tenure – Sani Toro whose tenure from 21 December 1993 to 3 May 1999 is merely 2020 days or five years, six months and 12 days.
Thus, no one had enjoyed a longer period in office than the incumbent, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi. It is speculated that the tenure will be extended as NFF has reported that all delegates have arrived in the Delta State capital by Thursday evening.
The NFF Annual General Assembly, the first of which took place 90 years ago in Lagos on 19 February 1934, is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country.
In one such meeting on 24 July 2008 in Makurdi, the football body changed its name from NFA to NFF.
This year, according to a press release by the NFF, the plenary will have in attendance, the chairmen and secretaries of football associations in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, chairmen and secretaries of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nationwide League One, as well as chairmen and secretaries of the referees’ association, players’ union and coaches’ association. This group of 88 makes up the Congress.
They are joined by the members of the NFF Executive Committee and the management team as well as former NFF Presidents and General Secretaries.
The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, is announced as the special guest. Nigeria’s Member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Melvin Pinnick is also expected as well as a representative of the West African Football Union (WAFU B).
The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will declare the General Assembly open.
Venue is the Unity Hall of the Delta State Government House.
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