Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales is convinced eye-watering Saudi Arabian investment in domestic football will not derail their mission on Tyneside.
The Gulf state’s Public Investment Fund, which owns an 80 per cent stake in the St James’ Park outfit, bought majority holdings in four of the nation’s biggest clubs – Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad – in June, sparking a transfer flurry which has taken some of the game’s biggest names to the Saudi Pro League in return for vast pay packets.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and French counterpart Karim Benzema are among those to have headed for the Middle East, while the Magpies have themselves benefited – to raised eyebrows in some quarters – with Allan Saint-Maximin’s move to Al-Ahli, having unlocked a Financial Fair Play conundrum with what is understood to have been a £30million cash injection.
Asked to explain the difference between that and the more modest approach adopted on Tyneside, where the total transfer spend over the four windows since the new owners took charge currently amounts to around £350million, Eales said: “An investment was made and Financial Fair Play is the regulation, so within those parameters everybody knew what the guard rails are in terms of what you can spend and how you can spend it.
“Our job is to try to now grow Newcastle United to where we want it to be within the regulations which every club has to follow.”
While Newcastle’s spending has been huge in comparison to that under previous owner Mike Ashley, PIF’s investment in the club, which has prompted repeated accusations of sportswashing, has been relatively modest for a sovereign wealth fund worth in the region of £514billion.
However Eales, who admitted the success or otherwise of the Pro League could spark pressure for a change to spending regulations in Europe, insists the owners are not frustrated by their inability to throw money at the Premier League club as they have been able to do at home.
He said: “The reality is they came in and it has been incredible, fighting relegation to finishing 11th, then finishing fourth. We have very shrewd operators in our ownership group.
“We have got a great skill-set and set of people who have experience in various businesses. They understand it is a long-term plan not short-term.”
Summer swoops for Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento had bolstered Eddie Howe’s squad for a campaign in which the club will look to build upon last season’s top-four finish while at the same time renewing their acquaintance with the Champions League after a 20-year absence.
However, the arrivals of Barnes and Livramento were eased by Saint-Maximin’s departure amid questions over a PIF-backed club buying from another within the fund’s sporting portfolio.
However, sporting director Dan Ashworth, who confirmed there was no other formal bid for the Frenchman despite interest elsewhere, insisted the undisclosed fee represented the player’s market value.
Ashworth said: “We are absolutely convinced it is fair market value and without going into the actual price it was, there is plenty evidence of players of similar age, similar position, similar ability, similar CV that are moving for similar amounts outside the Saudi league.”
The trajectory since Amanda Staveley’s consortium took up the reins at St James’ in October 2021 has been inexorably upwards, and the plan is to continue that resurgence both on the pitch and off it, where £10million has been invested in the training ground and a feasibility study commissioned to look into ways in which the 52,000-capacity stadium could be expanded.
Commercial revenue and global supporter engagement are also major focuses for a club which has high hopes for sustained success.
Eales said: “We are trying to build the plane while we are flying it. We won’t always get everything right. For us, it’s about getting Newcastle United rightfully back to where it should be.”
Shaw reveals how advice from former Man City stalwarts Bronze, Sterling assisted her to settle at the club
After struggling to find her footing when she just arrived at Manchester City, Jamaica international Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, revealed that it was the advice of Lucy Bronze and Raheem Sterling, coupled with hard work, that assisted in her now being the club's record goalscorer.
Since her transfer from Bordeaux in 2021, Shaw has cemented her status as one of the game’s most clinical strikers during her spell with Gareth Taylor's side so far. In the process, she smashed a number of records, including most goals scored by a Manchester City women’s player in a single season -31 in the 2022-23 campaign -before becoming the club's all-time leading goalscorer with 72 goals overall.
However, she wasn't always confident that she would have accomplished those feats, as she pointed out how guidance from former Manchester City pair Bronze and Sterling put her on the path to history in sky blue, after a difficult early period at the Joie Stadium.
“When I came here initially, I was struggling a bit,” Shaw revealed on The Women's Game Podcast with Sam Mewis.
“One day I was coming in from training and Lucy [Bronze] was coming in as well and she asked, ‘are you okay?’ and I said ‘I just can’t get the way they play, I can’t get it right’. City play a specific type of way and I was saying when we were walking in from training ‘I cannot get this right’. I didn’t know if here was for me.
“She started laughing and she was like ‘you focus on what got you here, the bits you do well that got you here, there’s something they saw in you that got you here’. At that moment I was like ‘wow’. I then called Raheem [Sterling] and I said the same thing to him. He was just laughing and said, ‘when I came from Liverpool I struggled a bit, they play a certain way so trust the process, believe in what you’re doing and believe in yourself’," she added.
From there, the 26-year-old Shaw said she continued to put in the work, both on and off the field until her performances came together.
“I put the comments from both Lucy and Raheem together and it made sense. I told myself to continue working and watching the videos, see how I could improve my game and seeing how best I can help the team. By doing that, it helped a little better day-by-day. Couple of weeks later I called Raheem and said, ‘it’s working!’ He was laughing and said, ‘I told you, you’ve just got to believe in yourself and do all the right things and focus on you first and foremost before you can focus on anything else’," Shaw shared.
Although her 2023/24 campaign was cut short due to a broken foot, Shaw will finish the campaign with 22 goals and five assists. And she credits her sparkling City success to her dedication on the City Football Academy training pitch.
“I just kept at it and believing in myself. The confidence comes from scoring goals and as the games come, I’m thriving," she ended.
Burnley boss Kompany demands never-say-die attitude as Premier League relegation looms
Vincent Kompany refused to admit defeat as Burnley slipped closer to Premier League relegation after a 4-1 thrashing by Newcastle United at Turf Moor.
The Clarets' heavy defeat, coupled with Nottingham Forest's 3-1 win over Sheffield United on Saturday, leaves Burnley five points adrift of safety with just two games remaining.
Burnley's loss was their 22nd in the Premier League this season (W5 D9), only in 2009-10 (24) and 1975-76 (23) have the Clarets lost more times in a Football League campaign.
Yet Kompany attempted to find the positives in the performance, suggesting there is still a chance his side take it to the final day against fellow relegation-battlers Forest.
"In the end I am not beaten or defeated by it personally in terms of my attitude," said Kompany.
"They are a good side with phenomenal attacking players, midfielders comfortable on the ball and aggressive in other situations.
"We never let this game die, the result and score was done but we kept going, kept threatening and that is all I can ask my players to do.
"For us, we have to look at that [next] Tottenham game as the final game of the season. If the opposition teams lose and we win, what are you going to write then? That's all it is.
"If they lose and we win, all of a sudden we have a different discussion before the next game. If we get a bonus with a game against Forest, then that's our final, that's how we have to look at it."
Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak – the latter who saw a second-half penalty saved, too – were all on target in a home humbling for Burnley.
Dara O'Shea's late consolation goal mattered for little as this disappointing result was made more painful by Forest winning at Bramall Lane.
Nuno Espirito Santo's 17th-placed side fell behind to Ben Brereton Diaz's penalty, only for Callum Hudson Odoi's brace and a second-half finish from Ryan Yates to save the day.
Blades manager Chris Wilder was left aggrieved, though, as his already-relegated United wanted a free-kick for a foul on Brereton Diaz in the build-up to Yates' goal that made it 2-1.
"I will let you put two and two together. I think it is a pretty easy, comfortable decision for everybody to make because of the situation," Wilder said, seemingly referencing Forest's recent problems with refereeing.
"I will let you decide on that situation. I'm not going to get dragged into that debate, a foul is a foul, whether it is a push in any part of the pitch.
“For me it is a foul, people tell me the game has moved on, you could say Ben needs to be stronger, but there is no need for him to go down like that, you can see he has two hands in his back.
"They score from that opportunity, we go 2-1 down."
Forest's top-flight safety could be secure before they face Chelsea next Saturday, with Burnley needing victory away against Tottenham to take their survival hopes to the final day.
Real Madrid's LaLiga joy must be 'contained' ahead of Bayern meeting
Carlo Ancelotti knows Real Madrid's LaLiga title celebrations must be "contained" as they prepare to take on Bayern Munich.
Madrid were crowned LaLiga champions for a record-extending 36th time on Saturday, after Barcelona lost 4-2 to Girona.
The Blaugrana's defeat followed on from Madrid beating Cadiz 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Brahim Diaz, Jude Bellingham and Joselu were on target for Los Blancos, whose coach Ancelotti knows restraint is needed in his team's celebrations, with the Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern coming up on Wednesday.
"It's obviously a contained joy, because the most important game of the season is also very close, but we have to be happy," Ancelotti told Movistar Plus+ before the Barca game had been played.
"These games are difficult to prepare for, because you have Wednesday on your mind. But so far it's been spectacular, our team was steady, with hardly any mistakes. The advantage we have is well deserved.
"A big part [of Madrid's success] was achieved when we started to defend better, with a collective commitment.
"The effort put by the players up front was great, but the injuries early in the season helped us to realise that it wasn't about individuals but putting on a collective effort, and we did great."
Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone, Ancelotti said: "We are very good. It is the seventh victory in a row in the League, a spectacular one as a whole.
"We are very close to winning it and I think we are going to do it with merit.
"It is a celebration taking into account what has to happen on Wednesday. We are all happy with the match, but let's think about Bayern."
Thibaut Courtois, meanwhile, returned from his long injury lay-off to feature for the first time this season.
Ancelotti added: "Thibaut is a very important piece for this team, although [Andriy] Lunin has had a spectacular season and that is a lot of credit to Andriy. But Courtois has returned very well and was decisive. He is doing very well."
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