AHEAD OF THE GAME: Everton benefit from good relationship with Brazil over Richarlison while Adidas will be the biggest financial winners from Manchester United shirt sales following Cristiano Ronaldo’s return
- Adidas keep the majority of revenue in sponsor deal with Manchester United
- Brazil withdrew Richarlison’s call-up so he would be available on Monday
- They have asked FIFA to invoke five-day regulation on other teams#
- Maheta Molango has been thwarted in his efforts to raise money for good causes
Adidas will be the biggest financial winners from the increased shirt sales resulting from Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United, with their Premier League record £750million sponsorship deal enabling them to keep the vast majority of merchandising revenue.
With United receiving a guaranteed £75m payment from adidas each year, the club’s commission on shirt sales and resultant bonuses is relatively modest, at around £4 for each £60 adult shirt sold.
Merchandising revenue included, United’s accounts show they received £78.8m from adidas in 2019 and £77.8m last year as shirt sales fell.
Adidas will benefit the most from Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United
So Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford is a welcome boost for the German sportswear manufacturers, not least as they will benefit from sales generated by a player contracted to their rivals Nike.
Re-signing Ronaldo should at least enable United to regain bragging rights from Liverpool, whose shirt sales outnumbered their neighbours for the first time in the Premier League era last year by 1.95m to 1.7m.
Everton benefit from positive Brazil relationship
Everton’s relationship with the Brazilian FA (CBF) is so good that the federation withdrew Richarlison’s international call-up for this month’s controversial World Cup qualifiers a fortnight ago to ensure the striker would not be banned for Monday’s Premier League home match against Burnley.
The CBF previously asked FIFA to invoke the five-day regulation preventing Liverpool, Manchester City, Leeds and Chelsea selecting their Brazil internationals — who were not permitted to travel to South America — until Wednesday, while Wolves, Newcastle and Watford were also at risk of missing players this weekend after Mexico, Paraguay and Chile made the same request.
Richarlison will be available for Everton who enjoy a good relationship with the Brazilian FA
While several Premier League clubs have complained about Everton getting special treatment, it is understood that the issue was resolved weeks ago, with the CBF withdrawing Richarlison’s call-up out of gratitude for Everton allowing the 24-year-old to represent Brazil in both the Copa America and Olympics this summer.
Molango thwarted in bid to sell PFA’s Lowry paintings
New PFA chief executive Maheta Molango has been thwarted in a bid to sell some of the union’s collection of LS Lowry paintings to raise money for good causes.
Sportsmail has learned that after the former Brighton striker replaced Gordon Taylor earlier this summer following an extraordinary 40-year stint in charge of the PFA, Molango enquired about selling the paintings to help increase the union’s funding of services for ex-players, including those suffering from dementia.
Molango was told that the collection of Lowry paintings, which are valued at more than £3.5million, were the property of the PFA charity, however, and as a result they do not fall under his jurisdiction.
The 39-year-old was appointed as PFA chief executive following an exhaustive recruitment process that took more than two years after Taylor announced his intention to stand down, but the union’s charity arm remains a separate entity.
Maheta Molango enquired about selling paintings to increase funding for ex-players
The PFA have attracted controversy by paying considerable sums for Lowry paintings at auctions over the last two decades, with the collection being made available for people to view at Salford Art Gallery.
The union’s first purchase was the iconic 1953 painting Going to the Match, which was bought at Sotheby’s for a record £1.92m in 2009, with three more pictures being secured for £1.65m six years later
The PFA have been widely criticised for the amount of money they provide to dementia research, only around £125,000 a year, despite the union receiving £25m annually from the Premier League, a situation Molango wants to improve.
Security beefed up after Euro 2020 final disturbances
Premier League clubs have beefed up their security this season to guard against so-called tailgating, the phenomenon of fans storming turnstiles which led to the crowd disturbances that marred the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
Several clubs have introduced multiple ticket checks for supporters at their stadiums, with the first one taking place some distance from the ground.
Fans are also being subjected to random spot-checks of their Covid-certification status.
Several clubs have introduced multiple ticket checks after the scenes at the Euro 2020 final
