Liberty Media has announced it has "gained all the necessary approvals from antitrust authorities related to its planned takeover of Formula 1." This brings the American entertainment company "one step closer to completing its purchase and takeover of F1." Liberty announced earlier this week it had raised $1.55B from investors, but said that the purchase of F1 "remained subject to several conditions." One of those was approval from antitrust authorities, "which Liberty has now confirmed it has received" (GRAND PRIX TIMES, 12/18).
The A-League’s A$2.65M ($1.9M) salary cap "could be abolished, potentially paving the way for big pay hikes for local players and an influx of overseas stars." Most A-League clubs pay "well above that figure as each is allowed to sign three marquee players on unrestricted wages." Professional Footballers Australia CEO John Didulica said that there "would be many possibilities when the new Collective Bargaining Agreement was negotiated" in '18, adding there were "no guarantees the salary cap would remain long-term." He said, "An agreement to a salary cap in football is never an absolute and cannot be taken for granted" (HERALD SUN, 12/19).
A fifth successive top-six finish and a League Cup semifinal "helped generate" a near £100,000 ($123,975) profit for Scottish Premiership side St. Johnstone. Chair Steve Brown pledged to run the club with "ambition and realism," and cautioned that the club would have been facing a "substantial" six-figure loss without the cash banked by the sale of winger Michael O'Halloran to Rangers in February. O’Halloran left for Ibrox in a reported £500,000 move and Brown admitted the sale was a “significant contributory factor” in the £98,577 ($122,212) annual profit (Scotland DAILY RECORD, 12/19).
