Manchester United were congratulating themselves on a job well done last night after announcing a £56.5 million sponsorship deal with the American Investment Group (AIG), but the club may face potential embarrassment at the hands of the company they let down at the last minute.
Mansion, an online betting firm, had offered in the region of £68 million and will take their world-record offer to another club, with Milan among those being touted. Spurs are also in the frame, albeit for a reduced figure, and Liverpool will be looking for a new shirt sponsor next year.
Such a scenario would reflect badly on United's chief executive David Gill and his finance director, Andy Anson, neither of whom would divulge the reasons the plug was pulled last Friday when they were close to a deal.
"Mansion don't want to appear bitter but they were sure they had the best offer on the table and the figures we have seen (from AIG) confirm that," Chris Hamilton, a spokesman for the company, said yesterday. "They were offering considerably more, between £65 million-£70 million."
Meanwhile, should Martin O'Neill take charge of Newcastle United or any other Premiership club he will have to combine the job with studying for his pro-licence coaching badge. Yet the anomalies of the certification system for elite managers dictate that, should O'Neill be made England coach this summer, no such qualification will be necessary.
FA Premier League rules require all managers taking jobs in the top division to hold the Uefa pro licence but those already occupying such posts have until 2010. If they fail to obtain the licence within four years they will be dismissed but would then, theoretically, be free to manage England, as that position requires no qualifications.
Of O'Neill's three rivals to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson, Steve McClaren and Sam Allardyce hold the pro licence and Alan Curbishley has the Uefa A licence, one rung down the ladder. Despite O'Neill's lack of the pro licence, he would be permitted to assume a Premiership post thanks to an exemption negotiated with the Premier League by the League Managers Association three years ago.
Selected managers boasting significant years of top-level managerial service were granted until 2010 to obtain the licence, provided they undertook a five-day coaching refresher course and thereby gained the newly-created FA coaching diploma.
O'Neill completed the refresher during his time at Celtic and, along with his badge-free peers Alex Ferguson and Graeme Souness, was duly cleared to manage in the Premiership until 2010.
In contrast, Glenn Roeder will have to step down as Newcastle's caretaker manager two weeks before the end of the season as his lack of the blue-riband qualification bars him from managing a Premiership club for more than 12 weeks. This is despite the fact he boasts previous Premiership experience managing West Ham, holds an A licence and was studying for the pro licence when struck down by a brain tumour three years ago.
Bolton's manager Allardyce has been fined £2,000 by the FA, severely censured and warned as to his conduct after admitting a charge of improper conduct with his comments about the referee Mike Riley at Blackburn in January.
Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate is likely to miss the rest of the season because of sciatic pain linked to a succession of thigh injuries. The news puts paid to any lingering hopes the England centre-back had of making the World Cup.
Neil Lennon hopes Celtic can make an overdue impact on the Champions League after tying up the Scottish title with victory over Hearts on Wednesday. Yet that target could become even tougher if Arsenal or Villarreal are crowned European champions this season. If either were to win the tournament, Celtic would be forced to play a qualifying round.
"Hopefully Barcelona or AC Milan will win it this year so we go straight into the group phase," said Lennon.
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