Footnotes #7: A new Everton, the growing women's game, and much more

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Here is my starting XI:

1?? A new chapter for Everton

2?? Man Utd aiming to win in 2028

3?? More solidarity payments in Europe

4?? San Siro misses the final

5?? Juventus suffers, Milan shines

6?? Braga keeps growing

7?? The new club World Cup is taking shape

8?? A record sponsorship in women’s football

9?? Chiellini invests in the game

1?? 0?? Another tender in Germany

1?? 1?? The end for Varane

1. A new chapter for Everton

Someone has finally come to the rescue. The Everton saga appears to be over after the Friedkin Group agreed a deal with Farhad Moshiri to buy the club, subject to regulatory approval.

The group, led by Dan Friedkin, who also owns AS Roma, said in a statement that they ?look forward to providing stability to the club.?

This deal follows a failed takeover bid by 777, a controversial private equity firm embroiled in legal troubles.

What kind of leadership will Friedkin bring to the Liverpool club? The journalist Rob Draper looked at the Friedkin Group's time in Rome to find out. You can read his article in Footbiz.

2. Man Utd aiming to win in 2028

Eleven years after their last Premier League title, Manchester United's new chief executive, Omar Berrada—who joined from rivals Manchester City this summer—has eased the pressure. According to The Athletic, Berrada informed staff that the club wants to become champions again by 2028, aligning with its 150th anniversary.

This speech comes at a challenging time for the club, with redundancies among staff, mounting financial losses (￡113.2 million last season), and disappointing on-field results—just days after Berrada's address, Manchester United suffered a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham, leaving the team 12th in the Premier League table. There is also uncertainty surrounding Old Trafford: will the iconic stadium be renovated, or could Manchester United's owners push for a ?Wembley of the North??

3. More solidarity payments in Europe

The UEFA Executive Committee has approved more solidarity payments to clubs not involved in the UEFA competitions over the next three years.

The allocation will rise from 4% to 7% of the projected €4.4 billion revenue threshold, translating to approximately €308 million per year, compared to €176 million annually in the previous cycle.

4. San Siro missing the final

While Inter and AC Milan continue to deliberate the future of their joint stadium, UEFA has to change the location of the 2027 Champions League final, initially planned for San Siro. The local government could not guarantee the stadium’s availability, and the Italian federation withdrew their application.

5. Juventus suffers, Milan shines

Several of Italy's biggest clubs have disclosed their financial results for last year.

Juventus announced a substantial loss of €199.2 million, an increase of 61%. This result was ?heavily influenced by the men’s first team's non-participation in UEFA competitions, as well as by certain non-recurring costs?, the club said.

Inter reported a loss of €36 million, a significant improvement from the €85 million loss the previous year. ?The club's summer transfer activity balanced the acquisition of top players while advancing the objective of sustainable growth and success,? Inter declared, according to Reuters.?

The club also received a €47 million injection from their new owner, U.S. investment fund Oaktree Capital Management, which took control in May.

On the other hand, rivals AC Milan made a profit of €4.1 million, according to Calcio e Finanza [Italian] [English, via Yahoo Sports].

It is the second consecutive year the club has reported a profit, thanks to record revenues of €457 million, up 13% from the previous season.

6. Braga keeps growing

Braga made a profit of €17.3 million, driven by their return to the Champions League, the club announced [Report in Portuguese]. The revenues exceeded €90 million, setting a new record.

It also reported positive equity of €80 million, ?the highest amount ever for the society (more than 13 times its share capital).? In Portugal, only Benfica has slightly more (€81,9 million).

7. The new club World Cup is taking shape

It is finally moving, as Fifa has named the 12 stadiums set to host the competition in the United States next summer that will gather for the first time 32 teams.

The final will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. You can check out the other venues on the BBC.

8. A record sponsorship in women’s football

The women's game has never attracted such sponsorship in a domestic league. The Women’s Super League (WSL) and the Championship secured a deal worth ￡45 million (equivalent to €53.9 million) from Barclays over three years, starting in 2025.

The two main tiers of women’s football in England, now operating under the new Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) instead of the Football Association, have seen their funding double compared to the previous financial cycle.

9. Chiellini invests in the game

Giorgio Chiellini has become the latest investor in women's football. The former Italy centre-back has committed a six-figure sum to Mercury/13, the multi-club company that owns Como Women, though no one gave specific details.

10. Another tender in Germany

The German football league will have to re-auction its main television rights package between 2025-26 and 2028-29 after a court ruled in favour of DAZN, one of the two broadcasters with TV rights in Germany.

The streaming company sued the league after losing the race for the main package, claiming the process did not comply with the law. An arbitration tribunal partially upheld the lawsuit.

11. The end for Varane

It is the end for Varane at 31 years old. The player from Como in Italy's Serie A, who built a career at Real Madrid and Manchester United, was recovering from a knee injury.

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