Liverpool Up for Sale by Fenway Sports Group; No Guarantee Any Deal Will Be Completed
Nov 7, 2022
Liverpool FC owner John Henry and his wife Linda Pizzuti after the Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Sunday, May 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Fenway Sports Group, the investment consortium that includes NBA star LeBron James, is considering selling Premier League team Liverpool.
"There have been a number of recent changes of ownership and rumors of changes in ownership at EPL clubs, and inevitably we are asked regularly about Fenway Sports Group's ownership in Liverpool," FSG told David Ornstein of The Athletic.
"FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool. FSG has said before that under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club.
"FSG remains fully committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the pitch."
The group, which also owns MLB's Boston Red Sox and the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, purchased Liverpool in 2010. A sale has been explored in the past, but no deal came to fruition.
Led by majority investors John Henry and Tom Werner, Fenway Sports Group's ownership tenure of Liverpool began with an extended whimper but has been strong of late. After finishing inside the Premier League top four just once from 2010-11 to 2015-16, the club has been no worse than fourth each of the past six seasons.
Liverpool won the Champions League in 2019 and followed it up with a Premier League title in 2019-20. The club was the runner-up in UCL earlier this year.
It's been a struggle for the club to live up to expectations this season, as they're currently sitting a disappointing eighth in the table.
Fenway Sports Group also owns Anfield, Liverpool's home stadium, which would almost certainly be part of any sale agreement.
Joachim Andersen Got over 300 Death Threats After Darwin Núñez Incident vs. Liverpool
Aug 16, 2022
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 15: Darwin Nunez of Liverpool battles for possession with Joachim Andersen of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace at Anfield on August 15, 2022 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Crystal Palace center back Joachim Andersen received hundreds of death threats following the club's 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Monday.
Andersen was involved in the match's most contentious moment when Darwin Núñez headbutted him and received a red card in the 57th minute.
The Danish defender shared a number of threats he has since received, saying he "got maybe 3-400 of these messages last night." (warning: images contain profanity.)
Joachim Andersen has brought attention to a stream of abuse he has received on Instagram from Liverpool fans following his involvement in Darwin Nunez’s red card last night.
In February 2021, English soccer officials wrote a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey asking for the companies to do more to curb the abuse players receive on social media:
The language used is debasing, often threatening and illegal. It causes distress to the recipients and the vast majority of people who abhor racism, sexism and discrimination of any kind. We have had many meetings with your executives over the years but the reality is your platforms remain havens for abuse. Your inaction has created the belief in the minds of the anonymous perpetrators that they are beyond reach. The relentless flow of racist and discriminatory messages feeds on itself: the more it is tolerated by Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, platforms with billions of users, the more it becomes normal, accepted behaviour.
The Professional Footballers' Association funded a study in August 2021 that found 44 percent of the 400 Premier League players with a personal Twitter account had received abuse on the platform during the 2020-21 season.
Home Secretary Priti Patel rolled out new legislation in January that would issue stadium bans to supporters guilty of targeting soccer players online or chanting racist or homophobic insults inside the ground. The new law went into effect in June.
According to the Times' Paul Joyce and Gary Jacob, Crystal Palace is expected to contact local authorities regarding the threats directed toward Andersen.
Mo Salah, Liverpool Agree to 3-Year Contract Extension Worth Reported £350K Per Week
Jul 1, 2022
PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 28: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool FC during the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool v Real Madrid at the Stade de France on May 28, 2022 in Paris France (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Liverpool announced Friday it reached
an agreement with superstar forward Mohamed Salah on a long-term
contract extension.
"I feel great and [I am] excited to
win trophies with the club," Salah told the Premier League club's official website. "It's a happy day for everyone."
Dominic King of the Daily Mail reported
it's a three-year deal through June 2025 that includes a salary over
£350,000 ($420,000) per week.
Salah has been the driving force behind
the Liverpool attack since joining the club on a transfer from Roma
in June 2017. He's scored 156 goals, which ranks ninth in the team's
history, across 254 appearances in all competitions over five
seasons.
The 30-year-old Egyptian is coming off
a 2021-22 term where he scored 23 Premier League goals to share the
Golden Boot with Spurs' Heung-Min Son.
It was a successful, and nearly
historic, campaign for the Reds, who won both the FA Cup and the EFL
Cup while remaining in contention for a rare quadruple until late in
the season. They ultimately finished second to Manchester City in the
Premier League and lost the UEFA Champions League final to Real
Madrid.
Salah, who's helped the club capture six trophies during his tenure, said he's confident the club is
prepared for another successful year in 2022-23.
"My message [to the fans] is the
players in the team want to give our best next season to try to win
all the trophies," he told the club's website. "As usual, you
stay behind us and give us a big push and I am sure we are going to
win trophies again [together]."
He'll be joined by Darwin Nunez in the
Liverpool attack next season after the club completed a deal with Benfica for the
striker in mid-June that's worth up to €100 million
($104 million).
Nunez, who tallied 34 goals in 41
matches for the Portuguese side last term, and Salah will likely be
flanked by Luis Diaz in the front three for the Reds.
Liverpool is set to open the preseason
July 12 when it takes on Premier League rival Manchester City in
Thailand, one of six friendlies before the season gets underway.
Salah and the Reds kick off the new EPL
campaign Aug. 6 when they travel to Craven Cottage to face off with newly promoted Fulham.
UEFA Issues Apology to Fans; Will Review Events Around Champions League Final
Jun 3, 2022
The display announces delay of the Champions League final soccer match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint Denis near Paris, Saturday, May 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
UEFA released a statement Friday apologizing to fans for the chaotic scenes prior to last weekend's UEFA Champions League final in Paris.
As part of the statement, UEFA noted that it is launching an independent investigation to determine what led to the inability to get fans into Stade de France in a timely and orderly fashion:
UEFA issues new statement on the Champions League final, apologising not blaming fans, saying what the review will look into & acknowledging failings: “No football fan should be put in that situation, and it must not happen again.” pic.twitter.com/5zAlpz1m5o
Due to lengthy delays in getting fans into the stadium, the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool had its start time pushed back by more than a half hour.
UEFA initially relayed a message inside the stadium stating that the delay was due to "late arrival of fans" before changing the wording to a "security issue."
An already tense situation outside the stadium escalated when police used pepper spray to subdue some of the fans attempting to get inside the venue:
In a statement after the match, UEFA blamed the congestion on fans purchasing fake tickets that wouldn't scan at the gate:
UEFA statement blame those with fake tickets for Paris chaos (doesn't say where they are from)
"Turnstiles at the Liverpool end became blocked by thousands fans who had purchased fake tickets which did not work in the turnstiles. This created a build-up of fans trying to get in" pic.twitter.com/O3XIMHyjPF
Per Melissa Reddy of Sky Sports, Liverpool subsequently requested a "formal investigation" to determine why fans were unable to get inside the stadium in a timely fashion.
The 2022 UEFA Champions League final was a tightly contested affair between two of the most storied clubs in the history of soccer.
Ultimately, Real Madrid prevailed 1-0 on a 59th-minute goal by Vinicius Junior. Los Blancos also got a clean sheet out of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was named man of the match.
The win marked Real Madrid's 14th Champions League or European Cup title, which is an all-time record.
Real Madrid Demand Answers from UEFA After Fan Incidents After UCL Final vs Liverpool
Jun 3, 2022
PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 28 : Courtois Thibaut of Real Madrid elected man of the match and winner of the cup during the UEFA champions league final match between Real Madrid and Liverpool FC on Stade de France May 28, 2022 in Paris, France, 28/05/2022 ( Photo by CROCHET / Photonews via Getty Images)
Real Madrid released a statement Friday
seeking "answers and explanations" from UEFA about the problems
that marred the club's victory over Liverpool in the 2022 Champions
League Final last weekend.
Los Blancos requested information about
the selection of Stade de France as the match's venue after it was
moved from Russia's Krestovsky Stadium following the country's
military invasion of Ukraine.
The Spanish club also asked for details
about "those responsible for leaving the fans abandoned and
defenseless" after pre- and post-match clashes between supporters
of both clubs and stadium staff, describing fans as victims.
Questions about UEFA's handling of the
situation emerged as the start of the match was delayed
over 30 minutes. The governing body blamed late-arriving fans for the
wait, but images showing fans waiting outside the stadium
appeared to disprove that explanation.
French sports minister Amelie
Oudea-Castera then alleged that between 30,000 and 40,000 fake tickets
were sold for the event, which caused issues for stadium staff trying
to verify their authenticity, but little to no evidence was provided in
support of that claim, per Simon Hughes of The Athletic.
Multiple eyewitnesses told The Athletic that locals arrived to the venue with fake tickets and tried to jump the
queue, which led to clashes with security and the use of tear gas
canisters.
"Kids, women and old folk were caught
in it, but we couldn't get away and we still couldn't get in," Liverpool fan Richard Banks said. "People were in tears; a couple
had panic attacks. One lad was taken away on a stretcher
unconscious."
Will Sweeney added: "There was wave
after wave of locals trying to start a fight. At one point, a railing
fell on me and me and my brother went flying into a wall."
Others stated those in charge of taking
tickets for the event were young and struggled to maintain order among the massive crowd trying to get inside, per The Athletic.
Liverpool requested a formal
investigation into the matter shortly after the game.
"We are hugely disappointed at the
stadium entry issues and breakdown of the security perimeter that
Liverpool fans faced this evening at Stade de France," the English
club said. "This is the greatest match in European football and
supporters should not have to experience the scenes we have witnessed
tonight."
UEFA stated it was "sympathetic to
those affected by these events and will further review these matters
urgently together with the French police and authorities, and with
the French Football Federation."
Real Madrid, which scored a 1-0 win for
a record-extending 14th Champions League title, called for the issues
fans dealt with "to be eradicated from football and sport in
general."
Champions League 2022: Players, Coaches React to Liverpool vs. Real Madrid
May 28, 2022
PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 28: Players of Real Madrid celebrate victory after UEFA Champions League final match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, France on May 28, 2022. (Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Real Madrid captured its 14th Champions League title with a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Stade de France.
Vinicius Jr. broke the scoreless stalemate in the 59th minute to put Real Madrid on top. The defense made the lead stand, with Liverpool having a 9-2 edge in shots on goal and attempting 24 shots total.
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 28, 2022
Los Blancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois capped off a phenomenal Champions League run with a shutout. The 30-year-old allowed just one goal in the past two matches, including a 3-1 win over Manchester City in the second leg of the semifinals.
Mohamed Salah had an opportunity to tie the score in the final minutes. He fired off a shot that was bending toward the far corner of the net, but Courtois was able to turn the ball away.
"Back in England, I don’t get enough respect… so, well, I showed it today. I wanted to put some respect on my name there," Courtois said after Saturday's win.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wasn't quick to give credit to Courtois after the loss.
"When the goalkeeper is man of the match, something is going wrong for the other team. In the last third we could have done better," Klopp told reporters.
While Courtois got his redemption on the biggest stage in the sport, Carlo Ancelotti further cemented his legacy as arguably the greatest manager of all time.
This was the fourth Champions League title for Ancelotti. The 62-year-old previously won with AC Milan (2002-03, 2006-07) and Real Madrid in 2013-14.
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 28, 2022
As happy as Ancelotti was to rewrite the record books, he was also quick to give credit to his players. Courtois, in particular, was on the receiving end of high praise from his manager.
"Trust me, I can’t believe what Thibaut Courtois did tonight, guys. Unbelievable," Ancelotti said.
Despite Klopp's frustration at how poorly his offense fared in the game, he certainly isn't lacking confidence in his club's ability to get back to the final in 2023.
"Where's the final next year? Istanbul? Book the hotel," Klopp said during his post-match press conference.
This was the first appearance in the Champions League Final for Liverpool since winning the title in 2019.
Top Winners and Losers After Real Madrid's Champions League Victory vs. Liverpool
May 28, 2022
TOPSHOT - Real Madrid's Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois catches the ball during the UEFA Champions League final football match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on May 28, 2022. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final on Saturday at Stade de France for their first Champions League title since 2018 and 14th overall.
Impressive performances from Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, who scored the match's only goal in the 59th minute, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois highlighted the play. That said, it was an incredibly disappointing result for Liverpool, which entered with hopes of avenging its 2018 UCL final loss to Real Madrid.
With one of the biggest matches of the year now complete, we'll break down Saturday's biggest winners and losers below.
Winner: Real Madrid Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois
Real Madrid invested nearly $43 million to sign Courtois in August 2018, and that investment has paid off in a big way. The Belgian was brilliant in goal for Real Madrid in the final, making nine saves to help his team earn the victory.
According to Statman Dave, the 30-year-old finished the match with 65 total touches, 27 long balls played, nine saves, seven saves from inside the area and two high claims. Courtois is the first goalkeeper in UCL final history with that many saves, which only further highlights how dominant he was against Liverpool.
Thibaut Courtois is the first goalkeeper on record to make NINE saves in a single #UCLfinal
One of Courtois' best stops came in the 80th minute as Liverpool's Mohamed Salah came very close to finding the equalizer. That said, all of his saves were nothing short of incredible.
Courtois mentioned after the match that he didn't have much respect in England—he will get it now after shutting out Liverpool.
Winner: Real Madrid Forward Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior was the lone goal scorer in Saturday's match, which makes him an automatic winner. The 21-year-old Brazilian found the back of the net in the 59th minute to seal Real Madrid's victory.
Vinicius Junior made a run on the back post, and Federico Valverde found him on a gorgeous pass for the goal.
At 21 years, 320 days, Vinícius Jr. is the 2nd-youngest Real Madrid player, and the 5th-youngest ever to score in a UCL Final. pic.twitter.com/Gk7zEPQRhf
Vinicius Junior has been with Real Madrid since the 2018-19 season, though the 2021-22 campaign was a breakthrough year for the youngster. He tallied 17 goals and 10 assists in 35 La Liga matches (30 starts) this season.
Vinicius Junior also entered Saturday's game with three goals and six assists in 12 Champions League matches this season.
The Brazilian is only beginning to make a name for himself at 21 years old and should receive a pretty significant contract extension. According to Marca's Mario Cortegana (h/t MailOnline's Dominic Hogan), Real Madrid was ready to offer Vinicius Junior an extension through the 2027-28 season worth 10 million euros in net wages.
That's not a cheap salary by any means, though it's a steal in relation to what other elite players make.
Loser: Liverpool's Defense
The Liverpool defense of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate and Andrew Robertson struggled. It nearly allowed Karim Benzema to score toward the end of the first half, but the goal was overturned after it was ruled he was offside on VAR.
The team's defense then had a major breakdown on Vinicius Junior's goal and was ultimately one of the reasons Liverpool failed to keep Real Madrid off the scoresheet.
Vinicius Junior's goal also ended up being Real Madrid's only shot on goal in the match, and Los Blancos had just three total attempts.
Real Madrid's defense, backed by Courtois' play, managed to avoid critical mistakes unlike Liverpool's defensive group. The Reds made just seven tackles, winning four, and also lost three tackles and had just one clearance completed. For comparison, the Real Madrid defense made 17 tackles, winning 15, and completed 11 clearances and managed to maintain a clean sheet.
That said, the Liverpool offense certainly had its chances with nine shots on goal and 23 total attempts, but Salah and Sadio Mane were left scoreless thanks to an incredible effort from Courtois and a solid effort from the Real Madrid defense.
Real Madrid Defeat Liverpool to Win Champions League Behind Vinicius Jr.'s Goal
May 28, 2022
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saves Liverpool's Mohamed Salah's shot during the Champions League final soccer match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint Denis near Paris, Saturday, May 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Thibaut Courtois' masterpiece and Vinicius Junior's 59th-minute goal off a beautiful Federico Valverde pass propelled Real Madrid to a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the Champions League Final on Saturday in Paris.
Liverpool outshot Real Madrid 24-4. Nine of the Reds' shots were on goal, while only two of Real Madrid's efforts found the target.
However, none of that mattered as Courtois delivered an incredible performance that included brilliant saves all night.
Tom Worville of RB Leipzig put the goalkeeper's effort in proper perspective:
Courtois kept Real Madrid level nearly single-handedly, and it was Vinicius Junior who put his team ahead after sliding the game's only goal into the net.
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 28, 2022
That was all Real Madrid needed thanks to Courtois' evening, and Real Madrid has now won 14 European Cups or Champions League titles, twice as many as any other club.
Courtois' clean sheet will last a lifetime, and he made history along the way:
Thibaut Courtois is the first goalkeeper on record to make NINE saves in a single #UCLfinal
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 28, 2022
Courtois had some added motivation going into this match, as he told BT Sport:
Thibaut Courtois to BT Sport after the game: "I had to win a final to put some respect on my name, because I don't think I get enough respect. Especially in England."
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 28, 2022
All was well, though, as Vinicius Junior took advantage of his chance for the lone goal, marking the third straight time the Champions League Final has finished 1-0.
That's 10 direct goal involvements for Vinícius Júnior in the Champions League this season. The last South American player to post 10+ in a single campaign while 21 or under? Leo Messi
That goal would not have been possible without Valverde, who was sensational in his own right:
Fede Valverde’s game by numbers vs Liverpool:
100% aerial duels won 47 total touches 4 ground duels won 4 ball recoveries 2 ball clearances 2 successful dribbles 2 crosses played 1 big chance created 1 assist
Real Madrid's run to the Champions League title was legendary. They lived on the edge throughout the entire knockout round, winning all four by one goal apiece.
Real Madrid needed a Karim Benzema hat trick to overcome a 2-0 deficit to Paris St-Germain in the Round of 16. Benzema was the hero again versus Chelsea in the quarterfinals, scoring in the 96th minute of the second leg to cap a four-goal aggregate performance and give his team a 5-4 win.
Extra time was needed again in the semifinals as Rodrygo scored goals in back-to-back minutes as the match neared its end to square the semifinal against Manchester City at five goals apiece. Benzema was the hero once more in extra time with a penalty for the 6-5 win.
There were new heroes Saturday as Courtois cemented himself as a legend, while Vinicius Jr. and Valverde did enough to catapult Real Madrid to the Champions League title.
Liverpool Requests Investigation into Stadium Issues Before Champions League Final
May 28, 2022
PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 28: A general view of the inside of the Stade de France during the UEFA Champions League final match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid at Stade de France on May 28, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Angel Martinez - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Liverpool is looking for answers after fans struggled to get into Stade de France in Paris prior to Saturday's UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid.
According to Melissa Reddy of Sky Sports, Liverpool has "requested a formal investigation" to determine what led to "stadium entry issues and breakdown of the security perimeter that fans faced this evening at Stade de France."
Liverpool also called the situation "unacceptable."
The UCL final had been scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET, but it was delayed by more than 30 minutes because of the delays faced by fans who were trying to enter the venue.
Rob Harris of the Associated Press tweeted a statement from UEFA, which said that fans purchasing fake tickets that didn't scan at the gates led to congestion entering the stadium:
UEFA statement blame those with fake tickets for Paris chaos (doesn't say where they are from)
"Turnstiles at the Liverpool end became blocked by thousands fans who had purchased fake tickets which did not work in the turnstiles. This created a build-up of fans trying to get in" pic.twitter.com/O3XIMHyjPF
Multiple reports later suggested that the fans were not at fault, though. Miguel Delaney of the Independent tweeted that many fans having trouble getting into the stadium had arrived hours before the scheduled start time of the match.
The situation escalated to dangerous levels, as police used pepper spray on fans attempting to enter Stade de France in some cases:
UEFA initially announced a 15-minute delay, but it was later extended, leading to the match starting more than a half-hour later than originally intended.
Two of the biggest and most loyal fanbases in all of soccer were on hand to watch the UEFA Champions League final between clubs that have experienced great success in the UCL final.
Entering Saturday's contest, Real Madrid had won more Champions League titles than any other club with 13, while Liverpool was tied for third with six.
Real Madrid ultimately added a 14th UCL championship Saturday, as they topped Liverpool 1-0 on a 59th-minute goal by Vinicius Junior.
