Daily Archives: April 21, 2026

The BookKeeper: Exploring BlueCo’s finances and its massive bet on Chelsea

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“Chelsea and big numbers. A tale as old as, well, at least 23 years. When Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago, Roman Abramovich’s proximity to Vladimir Putin and the Russian war effort resulted in Chelsea’s then owner being sanctioned, his assets frozen and the club marooned. Without the backing of the man whose funds had fuelled them since 2003, Chelsea could not sell tickets or merchandise, or take part in football’s bustling transfer market. Cash flow became a heightened concern. Not so since. Abramovich was replaced by a private equity-backed consortium, BlueCo, who, alongside paying £2.35billion ($2.97bn) in cash for the club and £49.8m ($63m) to former Chelsea directors for their roles in facilitating the sale, also committed to investing a further £1.7bn ($2.1bn) into the club. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Serie A Briefing: Kean’s mea culpa, Pulisic’s beard, and Juventus’ emotional tribute to Manninger

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<Gianluigi Buffon, right, Leonardo Bonucci, left, and other former Juventus stars carry a wreath for ex team-mate Alex Manninger
“‘You seen this?’ Antoine Griezmann laughed. Matteo Ruggeri tried to push the camera away. The staples in his splattered forehead stuck out. Blood continued to gush. ‘El Tigre’s gonna look better now,’ his Atletico Madrid team-mate, Koke, joked. Even the club’s social media admin got in on the act. ‘Call an ambulance!’ Ruggeri did not emerge unscathed from playing one-on-one with arguably the best player on the planet. Lamine Yamal skipped past him. He nutmegged and eluded him. Atletico’s head coach, Diego Simeone, shouted at him. ‘Matteo! Matteo!’ Back in the dressing room at the Metropolitano, Ruggeri raised a fist and smiled. It was worth it. Atletico were through to the Champions League semi-finals at Barcelona’s expense and the 23-year-old Italian, one of three former Atalanta players in their team, looked like a warrior. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)

Arsenal went on the attack and it was best they’d looked in weeks – Arteta will cling to that

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“Shortly after the full-time whistle blew on Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester City, a weary team trudged over to the corner of the ground occupied by the travelling fans. Arsenal had lost the game, and yet another chunk of their diminishing lead in the table. It might have been nine points — it is now just three. It is an undeniably disappointing outcome and a considerable blow to their title hopes. But there was no mass walkout, no opprobrium. The away fans rose to salute their team with warm applause and chants of support. They still believe: this isn’t over yet. In performance terms, this was Arsenal’s most encouraging showing in weeks. As Arsenal feel City breathing ever closer down their neck, that is what they will cling to. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Guardian: Arsenal are despondent, but the Premier League race is far from over – Jonathan Wilson
NY Times/The Athletic: There is no place to hide in Arteta’s ‘New Premier League’ – Arsenal must embrace their fears (Video)
NY Times/The Athletic: Haaland vs Gabriel – Ripped shirt, butting heads and a decisive battle in the title showdown (Video)
NY Times/The Athletic: Manchester City’s season of many formations – and why 4-2-3-1 might be the one to land the title (Video)
YouTube: Manchester City v. Arsenal | PREMIER LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS | 4/19/2026