A new beginning for Hamilton at Ferrari to a verdict on Man City charges – what we can expect from sport in 2025

Published

10 months ago

January 2, 2025

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We already know who sport’s biggest winners will be in 2025 – the lawyers as disputes rage over financial rules, the future of competitions and safety.

And a seventh consecutive year begins with the most complex and protracted legal saga in English football history rumbling on – but with the expectation of a verdict in the Premier League versus Manchester City.

There is anticipation it could be delivered by February.

Private hearings into alleged misdemeanours to comply with financial regulations were concluded by a commission in early December after spreading over 12 weeks.

The club will be hoping their expensively assembled squad of lawyers was more effective than their expensively assembled squad of players over the same period as Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions experienced an uncharacteristic fall from grace on the pitch.

The verdicts on 130 charges could determine if City even play in the Premier League next season if a points deduction sees them relegated.

But we have already seen a taste of what is to come – when even findings set out in a lengthy legal document can be contested, especially if all the charges are not proven.

Both sides were left claiming victory at the outcome of a smaller challenge brought by City against the league last year into the rules determining how much clubs can earn from companies linked to their ownership.

And it is who owns City that means any hefty punishment could create ripples beyond the pitch with the club controlled by United Arab Emirates (UAE) vice president Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan.

Just before Christmas, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was in Abu Dhabi searching for investment into Britain.

That required glad-handing Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon al Mubarak, the chief executive of state-run investment fund Mubadala who is also chairman of City.

We already know from internal government correspondence the City case, sparked by leaks published in 2018, is being discussed within the Foreign Office.

How will the UAE react to any punishment seen as humiliating? Although City, as they deny wrongdoing, insist they are not an Abu Dhabi-run operation.

But at the heart of this case are sponsorships linked to Emirati entities and whether income was artificially inflated.

Rival fans – as well as their clubs – will be as keen to see a verdict showing everyone has to abide by rules or face consequences.

It is a defining moment in the history of the Premier League.

And with questions over the ability of the league to govern its clubs, 2025 is set to be the year parliament approves an independent regulator for men’s football that the Premier League has resisted.

Club World Cup

It does seem unlikely the Premier League campaign will end in an unprecedented fifth successive title for Guardiola’s side, with or without being docked points.

What is certain is City’s season will end in the United States in the competition causing ruptures across football.

City will join Chelsea as England’s representatives – as recent Champions League winners – at a newly inflated Club World Cup.

Summers will no longer just be about national team competitions with FIFA launching a Super League in a different guise to give Gianni Infantino a bigger involvement in the club game’s wealth and status.

This is so closely associated with the FIFA president that he put his name on the trophy. Twice.

But with 32 clubs involved for more than a month in the US, the players’ unions are unhappy about the additional workload on athletes.

And the Premier League is among the domestic competitions in a complaint to the European Commission over the expanded international calendar, claiming FIFA is abusing a dominant position.

The plans for legal action were first revealed by Sky News at the turn of 2024 and set the tone for the year, putting fixture congestion and welfare at the top of the agenda.

A sign of how bitter the divide is between the stars and those running the game is that we understand global players’ union FIFPRO was not invited to the FIFA Best awards in December. And FIFA cut ties with them over producing a team of the year.

There is no timeframe for a verdict in the competition law complaint.

Stars hint at striking, although boycotting some FIFA promotional work around the Club World Cup seems more likely.

FIFA had to sign a £1bn global streaming deal with DAZN after TV channels in major markets were unwilling to spend heavily on rights to the event without clear wide appeal yet.

Trump and sport

The Club World Cup across June and July will be a major platform not just for FIFA and the US but particularly for newly re-elected Donald Trump.

Mr Infantino has dished out the sycophancy craved by the incoming 47th president who returned the favour by lavishing praise on the football boss via a video message at the tournament draw recently.

But Mr Trump’s sporting focus is far wider.

Shortly after being re-elected there was a trip to see mixed martial arts – a sport whose fans and competitors were mobilised by the MAGA movement – and the focus was on him attending with WWE boss Dana White.

There, too, was Yasir Al-Rumayyan, known in England as chairman of Newcastle United. His overarching role is that of governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

Through that he also chairs the LIV Golf rebel series bankrolled by Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund to entice talent from the established tours.

It has been 18 months since a peace pact framework was agreed with LIV along with the PGA and European tours, but talks have dragged on.

Mr Trump has promised to solve the men’s golf split by striking a deal in 15 minutes on his return to power – with his courses staging events.

LIV golfers have been cleared to compete at the Ryder Cup being staged in Bethpage State Park in September.

Athletics overhaul

The US will also stage three of the four events in the new Grand Slam Track series being launched in athletics by Olympic legend Michael Johnson.

But this is not akin to golf’s rebel breakaway with World Athletics President Seb Coe embracing them as collaborators rather than competitors to add lustre to the sport between Olympics and world championships, as football dominates the sporting landscape.

Around £10m in prize money is on offer, although men’s 100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles has resisted signing up while it lacks notable broadcasting agreements.

The start-up series will have legs in Jamaica, Florida, Pennsylvania and California from April to June.

Olympic election

Athletics could be in need of a new leader if Lord Coe is elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in March.

There are seven candidates and the former British Olympic champion is the best known globally although not in favour with the current Olympic establishment having broken rank by awarding prize money for Olympic medals.

He has also adopted a firmer position than the IOC on banning transgender women from women’s events.

As well as being an IOC election battleground, gender eligibility issues are set to challenge sport’s leaders throughout 2025 while trying to balance fairness, safety and inclusivity.

The return of Russia to the Olympic fold – and their teams to international football competitions – will be on the agenda if Mr Trump delivers on another peace pledge by ending Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

Rugby turmoil

The safety of anyone playing rugby will be in the legal spotlight as a High Court action brought by former players continues.

The case remains in its early stages as the shape of future hearings is determined. All while the players with long-term brain injuries struggle with the toll on their health potentially caused by the sport.

It comes while England’s Rugby Football Union enters the new year with a growing rebellion against chief executive Bill Sweeney over pay and performance with victories in only four of the 10 men’s tests in 2024.

England will host the Women’s World Cup across August and September with the Red Roses in a strong position to collect the trophy for the first time since 2014.

England football

The major football tournament in 2025 sees Sarina Wiegman’s England try to defend their European Championship title after winning on home soil in 2022 at a capacity Wembley.

Switzerland will be using much smaller stadiums this time, denying players the chance to appear in front of vast crowds that have been the hallmark of recent Euros and World Cups.

It is a challenging opening for the Lionesses with matches against France and the Netherlands, who Wiegman won the trophy with in 2017.

The group concludes against Wales, who hope to use the platform of a first major women’s tournament appearance to grow the women’s game domestically.

For England’s men, World Cup qualifying is first on the agenda for Thomas Tuchel in March.

As the first FA coaching import from Germany, there are doubters to win over. How will Gareth Southgate’s successor cope with fan and media scrutiny?

He starts with questions still over his rapid downfall and departure from Chelsea, a year after winning the 2021 Champions League, but with a trophy-winning pedigree craved by the Three Lions.

Cricket

It’s an Ashes year with the women’s team touring Australia in the coming weeks before the men head there in November.

But the financial future of the domestic game could be shaped by the conclusion of the sale of stakes in the eight Hundred franchises.

Global investment could be key to the sustainability of counties and provide cash for grassroots cricket.

Formula 1

It’s all change in motorsport with Lewis Hamilton beginning his new chapter at Ferrari.

While six of his seven F1 titles were won at Mercedes, the last came in 2020. And he will be turning 40 on Tuesday.

After frustrating times on the track, the hope is a move to the most glamorous team, historically at least, can finally deliver an eighth championship to claim the record outright that is currently shared with Michael Schumacher.

But the manufacturers will be juggling how much to focus on this year’s competitiveness or developing for 2026 when new regulations apply to cars’ power and aerodynamics.

UK

PPE Medpro will be pursued ‘with everything we’ve got’ Wes Streeting says

Published

59 mins ago

October 15, 2025

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PPE Medpro will be pursued 'with everything we've got' Wes Streeting says

The Government has vowed to pursue a company linked to Baroness Michelle Mone for millions of pounds paid for defective PPE at the height of the COVID pandemic after a High Court deadline passed without repayment.

Earlier this month, the High Court ruled that PPE Medpro, a company founded by Baroness Mone’s husband Doug Barrowman and promoted in government by the Tory peer, was in breach of contract and gave it two weeks to repay the £122m plus interest of £23m.

In a statement, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “At a time of national crisis, PPE Medpro sold the previous government substandard kit and pocketed taxpayers’ hard-earned cash.

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“PPE Medpro has failed to meet the deadline to pay – they still owe us over £145m, with interest now accruing daily.”

It is understood that is being charged at a rate of 8%.

“We will pursue PPE Medpro with everything we’ve got to get these funds back where they belong – in our NHS,” Mr Streeting concluded.

Earlier a spokesman for Mr Barrowman and the consortium behind the company said the government had not responded to an offer from PPE Medpro to discuss a settlement.

“Very disappointingly, the government has made no effort to respond or seek to enter into discussions,” he said.

During the trial PPE Medpro offered to pay £23m to settle the case but was rejected by the Department of Health and Social Care.

While Mr Barrowman has described himself as the “ultimate beneficial owner” of PPE Medpro, and says £29m of profit from the deal was paid into a trust benefitting his family including Baroness Mone and her children, he was never a director and the couple are not personally liable for the money.

PPE Medpro filed for insolvency the day before Mrs Justice Cockerill’s finding of breach of contract was published, and the company’s most recent accounts show assets of just £666,000.

Court-appointed administrators will now be responsible for recovering as much money as possible on behalf of creditors, principally the DHSC.

With PPE Medpro in administration and potentially limited avenues to recover funds, there is a risk that the government may recover nothing while incurring further legal expenses.

In June 2020, PPE Medpro won contracts worth a total of £203m to provide 210m masks and 25m surgical gowns after Baroness Mone contacted ministers including Michael Gove on the company’s behalf.

While the £81m mask contract was fulfilled the gowns were rejected for failing sterility standards, and in 2022 the DHSC sued. Earlier this month Mrs Justice Cockerill ruled that PPE Medpro was in breach of contract and liable to repay the full amount.

Mr Barrowman has previously named several other companies as part of the gown supply including two registered in the UK, and last week his spokesman said there was a “strong case” for the administrator to pursue them for the money.

One of the companies named has denied any connection to PPE Medpro and two others have not responded to requests for comment.

Insolvency experts say that administrators and creditors, in this case the government, may have some recourse to pursue individuals and entities beyond the liable company, but any process is likely to be lengthy and expensive.

Julie Palmer, a partner at Begbies Traynor, told Sky News: “The administrators will want to look at what’s happened to what look like significant profits made on these contracts.

“If I was looking at this I would want to establish the exact timeline, at what point were the profits taken out.

“They may also want to consider whether there is a claim for wrongful trading, because that effectively pierces the corporate veil of protection of a limited company, and can allow proceedings against company officers personally.

“The net of a director can also be expanded to shadow directors, people sitting in the background quite clearly with a degree of control of the management of the company, in which case some claims may rest against them.”

A spokesman for Forvis Mazars, one of the joint administrators of PPE Medpro, did not comment other than to confirm the firm’s appointment.

UK

Former Hull funeral director admits 35 fraud charges after investigation into remains found at his premises

Published

5 hours ago

October 15, 2025

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Former Hull funeral director admits 35 fraud charges after investigation into remains found at his premises

Former funeral director Robert Bush has pleaded guilty to 35 counts of fraud by false representation after an investigation into human remains.

The 47-year-old also admitted one charge of fraudulent trading in relation to funeral plans at Hull Crown Court.

But he pleaded not guilty to 30 counts of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body and one charge of theft from charities.

He will face trial on those charges at Sheffield Crown Court next year.

Humberside Police launched an investigation into the funeral home after a report of “concern for care of the deceased” in March last year.

A month after the investigation started, the force said it had received more than 2,000 calls on a dedicated phone line from families concerned about their loved ones’ ashes.

Bush, who is on bail, was charged in April, after what officers said was a “complex, protracted and highly sensitive 10-month investigation” into the firm’s three sites in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Most of the fraud by false representation charges said he dishonestly made false representations to bereaved families saying he would: properly care for the remains of the deceased in accordance with the normal expected practices of a competent funeral director; arrange for the cremation of those remains to take place immediately or soon after the conclusion of the funeral service; and that the ashes presented to the customer were the remains of the deceased person after cremation.

He admitted four “foetus allegations” which stated he presented ashes to a customer falsely saying that they were “the remains of their unborn”.

UK

Chancellor admits tax rises and spending cuts considered for budget

Published

13 hours ago

October 15, 2025

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Chancellor admits tax rises and spending cuts considered for budget

Rachel Reeves has told Sky News she is looking at both tax rises and spending cuts in the budget, in her first interview since being briefed on the scale of the fiscal black hole she faces.

“Of course, we’re looking at tax and spending as well,” the chancellor said when asked how she would deal with the country’s economic challenges in her 26 November statement.

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Ms Reeves was shown the first draft of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) report, revealing the size of the black hole she must fill next month, on Friday 3 October.

She has never previously publicly confirmed tax rises are on the cards in the budget, going out of her way to avoid mentioning tax in interviews two weeks ago.

Cabinet ministers had previously indicated they did not expect future spending cuts would be used to ensure the chancellor met her fiscal rules.

Ms Reeves also responded to questions about whether the economy was in a “doom loop” of annual tax rises to fill annual black holes. She appeared to concede she is trapped in such a loop.

Asked if she could promise she won’t allow the economy to get stuck in a doom loop cycle, Ms Reeves replied: “Nobody wants that cycle to end more than I do.”

She said that is why she is trying to grow the economy, and only when pushed a third time did she suggest she “would not use those (doom loop) words” because the UK had the strongest growing economy in the G7 in the first half of this year.

What’s facing Reeves?

Ms Reeves is expected to have to find up to £30bn at the budget to balance the books, after a U-turn on winter fuel and welfare reforms and a big productivity downgrade by the OBR, which means Britain is expected to earn less in future than previously predicted.

Yesterday, the IMF upgraded UK growth projections by 0.1 percentage points to 1.3% of GDP this year – but also trimmed its forecast by 0.1% next year, also putting it at 1.3%.

The UK growth prospects are 0.4 percentage points worse off than the IMF’s projects last autumn. The 1.3% GDP growth would be the second-fastest in the G7, behind the US.

Last night, the chancellor arrived in Washington for the annual IMF and World Bank conference.

‘I won’t duck challenges’

In her Sky News interview, Ms Reeves said multiple challenges meant there was a fresh need to balance the books.

“I was really clear during the general election campaign – and we discussed this many times – that I would always make sure the numbers add up,” she said.

“Challenges are being thrown our way – whether that is the geopolitical uncertainties, the conflicts around the world, the increased tariffs and barriers to trade. And now this (OBR) review is looking at how productive our economy has been in the past and then projecting that forward.”

She was clear that relaxing the fiscal rules (the main one being that from 2029-30, the government’s day-to-day spending needs to rely on taxation alone, not borrowing) was not an option, making tax rises all but inevitable.

“I won’t duck those challenges,” she said.

“Of course, we’re looking at tax and spending as well, but the numbers will always add up with me as chancellor because we saw just three years ago what happens when a government, where the Conservatives, lost control of the public finances: inflation and interest rates went through the roof.”

Blame it on the B word?

Ms Reeves also lay responsibility for the scale of the black hole she’s facing at Brexit, along with austerity and the mini-budget.

This could risk a confrontation with the party’s own voters – one in five (19%) Leave voters backed Labour at the last election, playing a big role in assuring the party’s landslide victory.

The chancellor said: “Austerity, Brexit, and the ongoing impact of Liz Truss’s mini-budget, all of those things have weighed heavily on the UK economy.

“Already, people thought that the UK economy would be 4% smaller because of Brexit.

“Now, of course, we are undoing some of that damage by the deal that we did with the EU earlier this year on food and farming, goods moving between us and the continent, on energy and electricity trading, on an ambitious youth mobility scheme, but there is no doubting that the impact of Brexit is severe and long-lasting.”