Category: News

Wasps and Worcester Warriors have had their applications of ‘no fault insolvency’ to avoid automatic relegation from the premiership declined.

The applications were made by the administrators for Wasps Holdings Limited and WRFC Trading Limited, respectively, with the Rugby Football Union revealing that both clubs cited the Covid-19 pandemic as the main reason they entered administration.

There is a timeline to have sales for both clubs agreed upon next week, allowing the Wasps and Worcester to participate in the Championship next season.

RFU findings

The RFU concluded that there was not enough evidence that the club was not at fault and that their business plan was not resilient enough to sustain the club.

Meanwhile, with Worcester, the RFU concluded: “a business model which did appear to be perpetually funded by debt”, adding that “the directors of the club had allowed the club to be in such a precarious position that a shock such as Covid, the challenging debt markets or another external event would have created a real and increased likelihood of an insolvency event happening”.

RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said: “We are all deeply concerned by the insolvency of Worcester Warriors and Wasps rugby clubs.

“We appreciate this decision will be disappointing for the clubs and their fans, but it is clear from the club financial viability group’s investigation that there were factors beyond Covid that resulted in the clubs entering insolvency.

“This has reinforced the need for greater financial transparency between clubs, Premiership Rugby and the RFU to enable both organisations to have better visibility of how these businesses are run.

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“We are already working on plans with Premiership Rugby to explore how to improve the structure, governance and business model of rugby union in England and support the clubs in becoming more sustainable.”

L’Équipe journalist Bilel Ghazi has offered exceptional insight into why negotiations took so long this afternoon between Fulham and Marseille over the transfer of midfielder André Frank Zambo Anguissa.

Negotiations went on forever this afternoon, because neither Marseille nor Fulham wanted to pay for the 5% of the transfer due to the club that developed Frank André Zambo Anguissa at youth level. At 16:36 UK time, there was huge panic, at 16:49 UK time, the problem was solved, which then brought Fulham to successfully apply for an extension of 2 hours to tie up the administrative loose ends.

Another L’Équipe journalist, Mathieu Gregoire, revealed that just 20 minutes before the 2-hour extension deadline, that documents were still arriving all the time at Marseille’s training ground for Sporting Director Zubizarreta & André Frank Zambo Anguissa’s representatives to sign.

We await to see if Marseille & Fulham have got this over the line.

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Our reliable colleagues at Goal France report that Scottish champions Celtic have rejected an initial €15m proposal from FC Porto for French midfielder Olivier Ntcham.

The offer included a sell-on percentage fee clause, with the Portuguese side expected now to make a second bid.

Celtic right now are taking a clear, hard-line position: the player is not for sale, but their resolve could be tested in the coming days as Ntcham is interested in moving to Porto and will shortly inform the Scottish side’s representatives of his desire.

Ntcham’s representatives are due to meet with Celtic today. FC Porto have set an internal deadline of getting this deal done by the end of next week.

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In a move announced a bit pre-emptively, FC Nantes have now officially signed 22-year-old Belgian Anthony Limbombé. Limbombé is Les Canaris’ eighth signing this summer but their first since the start of the Ligue 1 season. €7m plus add-ons was the agreed upon fee between Nantes and Club Brugge for the rights to the young Belgian, whose contract details with the French club are now finalised.

Limbombé was previously linked to a host of European clubs this summer including the likes of Huddersfield, Newcastle, Southampton, and Schalke, but it is Les Canaries who have successfully secured the Belgian’s signature. Skilful, quick, and good with both feet, Limbombé will add a threatening presence to manager Miguel Cardoso’s left flank.

Nantes have started the Ligue 1 season slowly, seeing defeat in their first two matches.  One clear weakness has been an inability to make the right decisions in the final third, something Cardoso himself even admitted. With the addition of Limbombé, however, Les Canaries’ offensive production may significantly improve.

The 22-year-old has proven to be able to contribute both goals and assists even from a more withdrawn left midfield role, netting six and providing six during last year’s Jupiler Pro League season.

G.M.

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Nathan Staples, Eric Devin and Jeremy Smith look back at the Ligue 1 weekend that was and the Champions League games coming up, with special guest Sam Lee on to discuss Lyon’s trip to Manchester City.

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64-year-old Ligue 1 winning technician René Girard has taken a new managerial job, the first since his departure from Nantes in December 2016.

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The Moroccan side announced Girard’s arrival last night, having been forced to find a new boss after their recent elimination from the African Champions’ League.

Speaking at a post-match press conference last night following AS Monaco’s 1-0 loss to newly promoted side Reims, Thierry Henry detailed a crippling lack of confidence on the part of his players as the reason why his ideas are not being implemented.

“Reims won basically all the duels. When we were at 11 vs 10, we really weren’t in the match at all. Then we get a red card of our own and penalise ourselves completely on our own. This was more worrying than on previous occasions because we do not produce any football. This evening was not about tactics, it was about a lack of desire. If you don’t win any duels, then its difficult to win a football match. I understand our fans’ frustration. This is a delicate situation. When you enter the pitch and your players involuntarily refuse to play, it is difficult. We have to find our confidence again. I would not have come to Monaco if I did not think that there was quality in this team.”

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Nathan Staples, Eric Devin and Jeremy Smith go through two matchdays of Ligue 1 action, from midweek mayhem to a wilted weekend of football in France.

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Yahoo Sport FR report this morning that Turkish giants Galatasaray have opened negotiations with AS Monaco over the possible signing of Colombian international forward Falcao.

The outlet reports that Gala are looking to sign a big sponsorship contract in order to fund a deal for the former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid forward.

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Monaco retain an interest in Younes Belhanda, but both situations are being discussed separately and not in the capacity of a swap deal at the time of writing.

L’Équipe report this evening that Lille have authorised left-back Fodé Ballo-Touré to travel to the Principality to undergo a medical ahead of a move to AS Monaco.

Ballo-Touré will sign a 4.5 year contract with Monaco, in a deal that will earn Les Dogues just under €14m excluding bonuses.

It is rumoured that the 21-year-old is even at the Stade Louis II tonight watching ASM play Rennes in their Coupe de la Ligue clash.

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