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A32 sports
Diamars 13 OctOber 2020

Just like 3 decades ago, English soccer shakeup plan divides

internationally — a boon to pounds to the EFL. Current-
the most popular sides. ly, the Premier League gener-
ates around 3 billion pounds
And it would take only six annually from broadcasters,
clubs to be able to later vote although the rights market
to water down the financial could be squeezed by the ef-
distribution model being fect of the pandemic reces-
proposed and widen the gulf sion and changing viewing
in the Premier League by habits.
making the split of broadcast
revenue less equitable. From 2022, the Premier
“They should be commend- League would use 8.5% of its
ed for demonstrating some revenue to fund the competi-
leadership, thinking about tion, the FA and good causes.
not just themselves,” Parry A quarter of the remain-
said, “but for the greater ing pot would be handed
good.” down across the EFL's three
It’s curious why American- leagues, replacing around 350
owned Liverpool and United million pounds in annual
(AP) — When Liverpool seize more control and ulti- have left Parry to do their bid- solidarity payments and fees
and Manchester United The enforced closure of sta- mately more cash. ding in public, as he's head of for teams relegated from the
sought someone to front a diums to fans has cut off the a competition they don’t play top-flight.
push to shake up the Eng- main flow of revenue that Benevolence with the whiff in. Parry is, though, a former
lish soccer system, they teams rely on for their sur- of a power grab, funded CEO of Liverpool which “We have long believed that
turned to the man who vival. Parry’s solution seems largely by the rest of the Pre- rouses even more uneasiness the major long-term issue
pulled it off before. logical in going back to the mier League. about plans being character- facing English football is the
Premier League and securing “This isn’t about giving pow- ized as a coup. cliff edge between the Pre-
“When we formed the Pre- not only an immediate bail- er to a limited number of “It’s a day to applaud Liver- mier League and Champi-
mier League, we had enor- out, but a long-term formula named clubs,” Parry said. pool and Manchester Unit- onship finances," said John
mous initial objections,” to derive more cash from it. Except it is. No longer would ed,” Parry said hours after Coates, the joint-chairman
recalled Ricky Parry, who The problem is the Premier all 20 clubs be equal partners. he made the strategy public of Stoke, which was relegat-
helped clubs break away to League's first chief executive In fact, there would be only on Sunday. “Not to be suspi- ed from the top division two
form in 1992 what has grown didn't work with the current 18 — the same size of the cious, not to be critical, but years ago.
into the world’s richest club leadership but with its two Bundesliga — with the Pre- actually just to look at the
soccer competition. “Change most successful teams: Unit- mier League shrunk to allow nuts and bolts of the plan, So while EFL clubs are op-
is never easy. Change is nev- ed and Liverpool. the elite to cash in with more which really do stand out. timistic that plans to boost
er popular, but sometimes games beyond England in a Very clear, very simple. It is their bank balances are in
change is necessary.” The Premier League attacked potentially expanded Cham- about a reset. It is about re- play, they know just why
the proposals as damaging for pions League after 2024. distribution.” there is so much suspicion
It’s particularly necessary the English game as a whole. United and Liverpool would So what does that look like? about the motives of the Pre-
within Parry’s current em- Downing Street denounced be part of a group of the nine mier League elite.
ployer: The English Football “backroom dealing that un- longest serving clubs who Some appealing numbers for “It stands out as a bit of a
League, which oversees 72 dermines trust in football have control of the decision- lower-league teams in need power grab,” said Dale Vince,
clubs in the three divisions governance.” making process with the re- and the Football Association, chairman of fourth-tier club
below the Premier League. That’s because in return for quired approval of only six which governs the sport in Forest Green in southwest
Even before the pandemic, the Premier League sending to instigate changes -- from England and runs the nation- England. "We’ll give with one
the EFL was full of teams more cash trickling down appointing the league CEO al teams. hand but take something a
operating on unsuitable bud- into the EFL each year -- as to blocking the takeover of An immediate advance of 100 little bit bigger with the other
gets as they chase promotion, “Project Big Picture” envis- other teams. They'd also gain million pounds ($130 mil- hand. It’s the most conten-
ultimately to the Premier ages — United and Liverpool the right to sell the live TV lion) to the Football Associa- tious part of the whole pack-
League. would carve out means to rights to some of their games tion and another 250 million age.”

Italian teenager Musetti beats Cuevas in Sardegna Open

(AP) — Italian teenager “I’m playing really good ten-
Lorenzo Musetti beat nis — my best tennis,” Mu-
eighth-seeded Pablo Cue- setti said. “I have the weapons
vas 7-6 (4), 7-5 in the first to (have) a great tournament
round of the Forte Village and to compete at this level.”
Sardegna Open on Mon- The 143rd-ranked Musetti
day. next faces qualifier Andrea
Pellegrino, who won when
Having won the boys title at Stefano Travaglia retired
last year’s Australian Open, from their first-round match.
the 18-year-old Musetti Pellegrino was ahead 4-6, 7-6
made a splash at last month’s (7), 3-0.
Italian Open where he beat Also, seventh-seeded Tommy
former top-five players Stan Paul beat Slovakian qualifier
Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori Andrej Martin 5-7, 6-3, 7-5;
in succession. and Jiri Vesely eliminated Ka-
mil Majchrzak 6-1, 7-5.
Against Cuevas, Musetti
maintained his focus through The tournament was in-
two rain delays and quickly stalled in the ATP calendar as
recovered a break of serve a one-time only event amid
late in the second set. the coronavirus pandemic.