Sam Allardyce "stunned" EPL side Crystal Palace by telling the club he wants to quit as its manager. He "wanted certain assurances" from club Chair Steve Parish "before committing his future to the club." Allardyce announced "his desire to leave" just days after Crystal Palace avoided relegation with a win over Hull City on May 14. No statement has been issued by the club, "with the hierarchy understood to be pursuing further talks with Allardyce and his representatives" (London DAILY MAIL, 5/23).
Former Scottish side Rangers Owner Craig Whyte told a prospective business partner that his firm had £60M in assets, a court heard. London financier John Newlands said that he had seen documents relating to Whyte's Liberty Capital company. Newlands later wrote that Whyte could "comfortably" back a £10M share issue. Whyte is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow for "acquiring Rangers by fraud, and for a second charge under the Companies Act." He denied both (BBC, 5/22).
The Chinese government could reportedly "relax rules on foreign investment, allowing investors to join" the AC Milan project. Yonghong Li led a consortium called Sino-Europe Sports to take over the club, but the Beijing government "imposed limitations on taking capital out of the country." SES was "therefore dissolved, with a new company, Rossoneri Sport Investment, formed to complete the takeover." Italian newspaper Libero reported the Chinese government is "preparing to ease restrictions on investing abroad, allowing Li to return to his original plan" (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 5/23).
