FA To Pay £3M To Be Released From Image Rights Contract

The FA is "set to pay" up to £3M ($3.9M) to release itself from an image rights contract, with execs "understood to have been thrashing out the payment to agency 1966 Entertainment for weeks," according to Alex Miller of the London DAILY MAIL. A deal has been "all but agreed" and could "even be signed" during the next int'l break in October. With an agreement close to completion, the FA "monitored events in Denmark," which had to field a "weakened team against Slovakia because of an image rights dispute" between the Danish FA (DBU) and the players' union. A temporary deal was brokered earlier this month before Denmark played Wales, "but the issue is still to be resolved and has been a major distraction." Once the FA deal is done, its execs "will look to change the way they handle England players' commercial work." FA officials will "deal directly with England stars" rather than having to "go through a third party for all sponsorship matters involving the squad" (DAILY MAIL, 9/22).