Newcastle United director Amanda Staveley says the club's owners decided to invest in the Magpies over the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham because it was cheaper.

Staveley's consortium, partnered with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, purchased Newcastle in October 2021, paying around £300million, and she explained that one of the key reasons for doing so was so more money would be left over to invest in the club than if they had bought a more expensive alternative.

Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, Staveley also pointed to the fans as a driving force behind deciding to buy the club.

"I think if we look specifically at Newcastle, we were very clear that prior to buying the club, we wanted a club with a very passionate fanbase," she said. "But we also wanted a club that we could buy affordably, because we're also partners with PIF and they are, effectively, a pension fund, managing money for future generations.

"So we wanted something that was very sustainable, and that we could build. We didn't go for the wonderful Tottenham and Chelsea and Liverpool and obviously, everybody knows I was a massive Liverpool fan.

"We tried to buy Liverpool, and when we walked into the Newcastle game, we said 'why spend x billion when you can actually spend 300 and some million and put in?' I think we've put in £200+ [million] to date of new money since we bought the club. We had a particular business plan based on a five, 10, 15-year timeline.

"Critical to that plan was making sure we had the right partners...PIF are very long term investors."

Staveley also explained why it is unlikely that the PIF would also look to invest in another Premier League club, despite previous links to Manchester United.

"Mehrdad [Ghodoussi, co-owner and Staveley's husband] and I are not wealthy," she said. 

"Jamie [Reuben, co-owner] obviously is an extraordinarily wealthy gentleman, we're the poor partner, but that helps govern a lot of the decisions – so there's no scenario where Saudi Arabia will decide to sell Newcastle to buy one of the mega clubs like Manchester United."

Staveley spoke about the challenges since arriving at St. James' Park, including in player recruitment where the owners are mindful about what head coach Eddie Howe wants for his team.

"If I did it all again. I think we should have probably brought in more people more quickly," she said. "Players or staff... the players we had to be just very careful and analytical on everything we did and we still do that.

"Because we have an FFP budget we keep to... that guided a lot of our transfer policy but we couldn't afford to have a dud player. And so we had to make sure that we built at the back so that we [could] start to play the football that Eddie wants to play, this fantastic pressing football that we love and exciting attacking football.

"But to do that we needed to make sure that we could really strengthen because we had, I think, the weakest defence in the whole league, and now we have one of the strongest. And that was really important.

"So we always want more players. But the problem is, especially when you're running a football club, you don't really want to lose the players that you've worked with, and Eddie's the same, and so it's really difficult. So we've got to do that."

Chelsea prospect Andrey Santos has returned to former club Vasco da Gama on loan.

The 18-year-old midfielder will move back to Brazil until the end of June.

Santos helped Vasco earn promotion to the top-flight last year before joining Chelsea in January, reportedly costing the Blues £18million.

Despite being highly rated, Santos was unable to secure a work permit for the United Kingdom, though reports suggest Chelsea are confident he will qualify for one next season.

Palmeiras had apparently been leading the race for Santos, but negotiations were said to have broken down due to a disagreement on the length of the loan.

It was claimed Chelsea wanted Santos back for next season, whereas Palmeiras wanted him until the end of their campaign, meaning he would not have been back at Stamford Bridge until December.

Santos captained Brazil to success in the South American Under-20 Championship glory last month, finishing joint-top scorer with six goals.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters will reserve judgement on Chelsea's spending until seeing what they do in subsequent transfer windows.

After a busy first window following the May 2022 takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Chelsea went even further in January, signing eight players for an approximate total of £300million, including a Premier League record £106.8m on Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.

Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, Masters was asked about the Blues' spending, and was not in the mood to pass judgement.

"I'm not here to defend [them]," he said. "The new owners have owned the club for less than a year, they've had two transfer windows, and you need to judge the football club after three or four years.

"They might have bought, they would argue probably... a different transfer policy to the previous regime, buying younger players and [signing them to] longer contracts at low wages. And obviously, within our rules, it's a test that is over a 12-month period.

"So the question is whether they're going to sell some of their existing players in the next window. And I don't know the answer to that question. I'm not here to defend them, but you have to judge these things over a period of time."

Masters also spoke about the UK government's recent white paper on reforming football governance, outlining a plan to introduce an independent regulator for clubs in the English football pyramid.

"It is a significant moment for English football, things are going to change," Masters said. "The review process has concluded, the white paper is finally out and we're all getting the opportunity to reflect upon it.

"I think from the Premier League's perspective, we've always accepted that there needs to be stronger regulations, more independently enforced, and the white paper offers to deliver that... we would like to protect everything that's great about English football, including the Premier League, but sit on the top and make sure that the system doesn't run too hot.

"It's dealing with football [through] sustainability, ownership, and fan interests. And who can argue with those three objectives?

"Our concerns would be clear; it's an independent regulator with a lowercase i, it reports to politicians, and can be instructed by politicians. And so we would be worried that over time, football might become the ultimate political football.

"... I think the league should continue to write its own rules and continue to govern itself, and the regulator hopefully will only step in as and when necessary, when regulation is seen not to be performing, or the clubs are financially overheating to the point where the regulator needs to step in."

Masters was also asked about recent comments from Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira on the lack of black coaches in the Premier League.

"There's always more that we can do... Patrick is right," Masters said. "If you look at the diversity on the pitch, and it's not just in the Premier League, it's throughout the academy system, it is incredibly diverse, but that isn't translating into opportunities for people from ethnic backgrounds, not just in coaching but in other employment pathways as well.

"We have a number of schemes in place at the moment. Player-to-coach pathways, player-to-executive pathways. We launched this last year. We have seven ex-Premier League players and WSL players who are participating in that.

"So Patrick is accurate to say there's an issue and to raise the point and to put pressure on football authorities to do more, and we'll always look at that."

Charles Leclerc is confident Ferrari can compete with Red Bull for both titles in the new Formula One season.

Ferrari failed to capitalise on their strengths last year and compete with Max Verstappen, who waltzed to a second consecutive championship title.

Early signs ahead of the 2023 season suggest Red Bull remain ahead of their rivals, with Leclerc admitting that is a perception he holds.

However, he believes Ferrari can mount a threat over the course of the season due to the developments from last year.

"From what I can see, it seems Red Bull is a bit ahead. But it's a long season, our goal is still to win the championship," he told Sky Sports.

"I am confident. We have great guys in Maranello, I think we have shown it with the big step forward from 2021 to 2022.

"There were too many mistakes in 2022, we know that, but we've been very honest with ourselves in order to get better for this season.

"The target is still [to win the title]. Even if we are starting a bit of the back foot compared to them in terms of performance, I'm sure we can come back."

Leclerc's assessment that Red Bull begin the campaign ahead of their rivals is shared by Mercedes' George Russell, who expects them to dominate the opening weekend in Bahrain.

"It probably wasn't the smoothest three days we could have hoped for at testing. But the learning we found is going to put us in better stead for this weekend," he said in Thursday's press conference.

"I think it’s definitely fair to say Red Bull are in a league of their own this weekend. But it'll probably be a nice fight for second between Ferrari and Aston Martin."

Lewis Hamilton rebuffed suggestions the 2023 season will be his final year in Formula One and is adamant he will be at Mercedes next season.

The seven-time champion is in the final year of his contract with the team, who are expected to be off the pace of rivals Red Bull in the hunt for the championship.

Speculation that Hamilton will walk away from the sport has persisted ever since a controversial conclusion to the 2021 season, when Max Verstappen pipped him to the title in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton returned to the grid for 2022, although Mercedes struggled and lost their constructors' championship crown to Red Bull, and is set for a 17th season in F1 in 2023.

The Brit is not set for a swansong, as he hit back at claims from former F1 drivers Jenson Button and Damon Hill that he will retire following the campaign.

"It is ultimately people creating rumours without facts, and it is never helpful. You would have thought that they [Hill and Button] would both know me by now," he told reporters ahead of the opening race of the season in Bahrain.

"I have been with Mercedes since I was 13, and last year we had a difficult year, but I am still here, and whether or not we have a difficult year this year, I will still be here.

"I am a fighter, and we fight as a team. I love the challenge of finding solutions and I still believe I am able to put the car in places that perhaps others are not able to. I love that challenge.

"Of course, I wish we started the season with a great car, but it is the journey that really counts."

Negotiations over a new contract for Hamilton are continuing, with the 38-year-old confident an agreement will be reached.

"There is no hold-up with our contract. I have always been very, very relaxed and I don't feel like I have to get it done right this second. I am in a very fortunate position," he added.

"It will get done when we are ready. I have a great relationship with Toto and with Mercedes and we fully support each other.

"I am really excited about the future together and really proud of the work we are doing, on and off the track and the potential of new things that we can do moving forward.

"We will get there, unless something catastrophic happens between me and Toto [team principal Wolff] and we get in the [boxing] ring, but other than that we are good."

Barcelona have handed Joao Mendes a chance to make it big at Camp Nou, just like his father Ronaldinho ascended to superstar status at the club.

The 18-year-old Mendes signed a contract on Thursday to join Barcelona's youth academy, with the young forward hoping to make the grade.

Mendes has been taken on after a trial period, having previously played at junior levels with a number of Brazilian clubs.

Across all competitions, Ronaldinho scored 98 goals in 207 games for Barcelona during a five-year spell from 2003 to 2008.

He was recruited as close to the finished article, having already shone for Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil, and went on to take his game to even higher levels by helping Barcelona win two LaLiga titles and the Champions League.

While thousands turned out to welcome Ronaldinho in 2003, his son's signing was a low-profile affair, with the club's youth football director Joan Soler Ferre joining him to overlook the completion of the deal.

Ronaldinho, who won the 2005 Ballon d'Or, is now a Barcelona ambassador.

Youngster Mendes was released by Cruzeiro last year, but in February the Barcelona president Joan Laporta welcomed the prospect of him joining the Catalan giants.

"The pressure on the boy is great, because Ronaldinho has been one of the best in history," Laporta said then. "The son has pressure, but it's the job of our coaches to develop his skills."

Patrick Vieira believes English football may have to consider a quota system to counter the lack of black managers in football.

The Crystal Palace boss is the only black manager in England's top flight in both men's and women's football.

A study conducted in October also found that only four per cent of bosses in the Premier League and EFL were black, a figure that does not align with the fact 43 per cent of players in the top flight are black.

In America, the NFL uses the 'Rooney Rule', which requires teams to interview ethnic minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs.

Former Arsenal and France midfielder Vieira does not necessarily agree with that approach but says such steps may have to be taken.

"Looking at the number of minorities or black players we have and seeing how few are staying in the game is difficult to understand," he said at the Financial Times Business of Football summit.

"That [quota] helped the NFL and US sport to move forward. There are more black coaches in the NBA and NFL, but I don't personally believe it is the right answer.

"You want to make a decision based on what you want as quality at your club for a manager.

"But if that can move things forward that is maybe the first step we can take. In the long term I hope owners will make decisions based on what the manager can do for the club.

"I heard so many excuses like ex-players don't want to do their badges, but it is not true. They are waiting for an opportunity to do what they want, but the door is not open."

Investigations into Manchester City's alleged financial misconduct have "taken too long", believes LaLiga chief Javier Tebas.

The Premier League champions have been charged by the competition with over 100 rule breaches in relation to their financial dealings following an investigation lasting Wober four years.

City have denied any wrongdoing, and say they will fight the accusations, which could lead to sanctions including a points deduction and potential relegation.

Tebas, who has been frequently critical of the Premier League's wealth, suggested the investigation had dragged its feet however, having first raised the issue in 2017.

"Now it is 2023, and nothing has moved on, but suddenly there is an enquiry," he told the Financial Times Business of Football Summit.

"It has taken too long. We know there was an alleged breach of 100 articles. So any decisions will have to be adopted accordingly by the Premier League."

Tebas drew comparisons to LaLiga title frontrunners Barcelona, who have frequently been in conflict with the governing body over their own financial conduct.

The Blaugrana have amassed eye-watering debts, and were forced to activate additional financial levers in order to fund their transfer market activity last year.

"One of the worst things about financial controls is if you don't follow or comply with it," Tebas added.

"Barcelona are so important for LaLiga in Spain, but if I looked away and didn't pay attention to what is happening with their finances, it would be a gross error.

"Our whole system would collapse. It is impossible for them to do transfer business in the summer because of the numbers. This needs to be resolved, and we need to act."

Victor Osimhen will not let his Premier League ambitions prove a distraction to short-term objectives of firing Napoli to a Serie A and Champions League double.

The Nigerian striker has been linked with clubs including Chelsea and Manchester United, after hitting 19 goals in 20 Serie A games this season.

Napoli are charging towards a first Scudetto since 1990 and Osimhen's goals have been crucial, drawing plenty of interest from Europe's richest clubs.

He has two years remaining on his Napoli contract, but England appeals.

Now is not the time to be thinking about a move, though, with Osimhen wanting to focus on success at home and in Europe, with Napoli close to securing a Champions League quarter-final spot.

Winning 2-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their last-16 tie means Napoli are on the charge in that competition too.

Asked about the Premier League, Osimhen said: "I think it is an ambition of all players. And who knows, one day...

"Right now, I assure you, it doesn't even cross my mind. It would distract me from a beautiful season. Only Napoli."

Speaking to the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Osimhen spoke of his blossoming attacking partnership with Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Osimhen spoke of there being "empathy from the first moment" between the pair, with Kvaratskhelia having joined last July from Dinamo Batumi.

"He is very strong, but also a golden boy. This matters to me," said the 24-year-old Osimhen.

Napoli hold an 18-point lead over Inter and Milan with 14 rounds of games remaining, meaning it would take a spectacular collapse for them not to hang on to top spot.

They finished third last season, behind the San Siro duo, but the Naples giants are having it all their own way this time around.

According to Osimhen, this title assault stemmed from a conversation he had with midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in pre-season, which was joined by coach Luciano Spalletti.

"There is a preserved photo that testifies to the moment," Osimhen said. "It was summer and after a fairly hard training session I was talking to Anguissa.

"I said to him: 'Frank, you know that our team is strong and we can really try to win the Scudetto.'

"He was sceptical and I convinced him. Spalletti approaches and asks us what we are talking about. I tell him, he looks at me and says: 'If your team-mates are convinced, as you are, yes we can try.'

"This is how our beautiful story was born, made up of matches, training sessions, men who don't spare themselves. Made of leaders."

Nathan Lyon took eight wickets on a dramatic day two of the third Test to leave Australia needing 76 runs to beat India and keep the series alive.

Sixteen wickets fell on a captivating second day at Holkar Cricket Stadium, where the tourists collapsed to 197 all in reply to India's 109.

Ravichandran Ashwin (3-44) and Umesh Yadav (3-12) took Australia's last six wickets for only 11 runs to seemingly leave the game in the balance.

With sharp turn and variable bounce to contend with, Cheteshwar Pujara made 59 but India were skittled out for 163 in their second innings in Indore, Lyon claiming a magnificent 8-64 to leave Australia facing only a small run chase to make it 2-1.

Ashwin ended a stand of 40 by removing Peter Handscomb (19) after Australia resumed on 156-4 and Umesh trapped Cameron Green leg before in the next over.

Umesh cleaned up Mitchell Starc and Todd Murphy as the tourists folded after the drinks break, with Ashwin on the money as he struck Alex Carey in front, before bowling Lyon to end the innings in a flash.

Starting their second innings with a deficit of 88, India lost openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma bowled and lbw respectively to the excellent Lyon.

Virat Kohli followed for only 13 after being struck on the pad in front of middle stump attempting to pull a Matthew Kuhnemann delivery that kept low and India were 78-4 when Lyon sent Ravindra Jadeja trudging off.

Shreyas Iyer made a brisk 25 before falling to Mitchell Starc and Lyon continued to apply the pressure, seeing the back of Srikar Bharat and Ashwin.

Pujara stood firm for a battling half-century but his knock was ended when Steve Smith produced a brilliant diving catch at leg slip for the relentless Lyon, who dismissed Umesh and Mohammed Siraj without scoring to clean up the India innings.

Ashwin into the top three

The 36-year-old Ashwin took his incredible tally of international wickets to 689 in his 269th match to become India's third-highest wicket-taker across all formats.

He surpassed the great Kapil Dev's haul of 687 in all formats for India, making the most of the conditions after Jadeja (4-78) had taken all four wickets for India on day one.

Only Anil Kumble (953) and Harbhajan Singh (707) have claimed more scalps for India in all formats combined.

Lyon Australia's spin king

It was Kuhnemann who starred for the tourists by claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in only his second Test on day one, but fellow spinner Lyon was the main man on Thursday.

He bowled with great guile and control, helping himself taking his 23rd haul in the longest format after picking up three wickets on day one.

Lyon now has more wickets against India across all formats than any other Australia bowler after moving past Brett Lee's total of 111, having claimed his second eight-wicket haul in India.

FIFA has been criticised by a prominent former Australia footballer after appointing Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima as a global fan ambassador ahead of the Women's World Cup.

Moya Dodd, a former member of the FIFA executive committee, said it was a "truly baffling" decision that was "tone deaf".

World governing body FIFA announced Lima's role on Monday, saying the 41-year-old would "develop, promote and participate in several global initiatives involving fans from all over the world!".

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: "When you get to meet Adriana, you feel right away her warmth, kindness, and how approachable and passionate she is about our game. She lives and breathes 'futebol' and that is also why she can be an excellent link between FIFA and fans worldwide."

However, Dodd questioned why FIFA should choose a model who has been quoted talking about the professional benefits of crash-dieting in the past, and who in a 2006 GQ interview was reported as saying she considered abortion "a crime".

Dodd's initial response to FIFA's move was to write: "Seriously, #FIFA, is this the fan engagement ambassador we need as the @FIFAWWC approaches? #tonedeaf".

She posted that message on Twitter alongside a screenshot of Lima's Twitter profile, which features the model in a near-naked pose.

Dodd added: "#FIFA please say you’re not paying this supermodel more than the players get for being at the @FIFAWWC".

In a follow-up post on LinkedIn, Dodd added how she believed Lima's "public image", based on her Twitter profile pictures, "looked an odd fit for an organisation that says it wants to empower girls and women, and whose president is required to be 'a vanguard' for promoting gender equality".

Dodd went on to say: "I asked whether the FIFA ambassador will be delivering messages on body image, wellbeing and healthy eating; or on a woman's right to choose?

"And it made me wonder: what will this ambassador represent to the large and growing population of aspirational #womensfootball players and fans who love the game because it shows us what empowerment and equality can look like?

"Because when a girl plays football, the world sees her differently. Instead of being complimented on her nice looks or her pretty dress, she is valued for her game-saving tackles and brilliant goal-scoring.

"She's admired for what she can DO, rather than how she looks, putting her on a more equal footing with her brothers in a way that can alter the whole trajectory of her life's ambitions."

Dodd added that, given this is a World Cup year: "That's the message that should be ringing loud and true around the world. Where a super-model fits into this is truly baffling."

Australia and New Zealand will co-host the Women's World Cup in July and August, and there have already been concerns and complaints raised in both countries about the prospect of the Visit Saudi tourism authority being reportedly lined up by FIFA as a major sponsor of the tournament.

Saudi Arabia has faced criticism from human rights groups over its attitudes towards women and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Lance Stroll has been passed fit to race at this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix after recovering from a wrist injury that threatened to derail Aston Martin's plans for the season opener.

Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich was put on standby after Stroll hurt his wrist in a freak cycling accident and had to miss pre-season testing.

There had even been speculation of a Sebastian Vettel comeback, after team principal Mike Krack initially refused to rule out the possibility of the German coming out of retirement.

However, that idea was knocked on the head eventually, and now Drugovich can stand down, too, with Canadian Stroll cleared to take part after undergoing surgery.

The team announced Stroll's involvement in a statement on their website, with the 24-year-old driver saying: "It was frustrating not to be out in Bahrain for the pre-season test and I was disappointed to miss the three days of running. However, given the injury to my wrist, the team and I felt it was best to focus on recovery so that I would be ready for this weekend and the long season ahead.

"It was an unfortunate accident – I fell from my bike when my tyre caught a hole in the ground – but thankfully the damage was not significant and a successful minor surgery on my right wrist fixed the problem very quickly. Since then, I've been working hard with my team to ensure that I am fully fit to compete this weekend.

"Now I'm ready to get my head down and concentrate on racing this weekend – something I'm really looking forward to."

Stroll will be entering his seventh season in Formula One and hoping for a first top-10 finish in the drivers' championship. He finished 15th overall last year, three places behind then team-mate Vettel.

Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso will be Stroll's team-mate in the new campaign, having switched from Alpine.