Everton, the competitor in the English Premier League, announced on Friday that the Friedkin Group, which owns it, intends to sell a controlling stake in the club, as part of its efforts to attract new investments and support the next stage of the club’s journey.
The announcement comes less than two years after the US-based group took over Everton from previous owner Farhad Moshiri in December 2024, when it took over a club that was suffering from financial pressures and a long period of instability on and off the field.
Since completing the deal, the Friedkin Group has supervised the team's move to Hill Dickinson Stadium, and has also worked to improve its financial conditions and enhance its institutional stability.
The group said in a statement: “When the Friedkin Group took over Everton, the club was facing a great deal of financial uncertainty and complex challenges on and off the field.”
She added that her priority at that stage was to provide the stability, investment and support necessary to ensure the club’s future, including completing the new stadium project.
She continued: “With these foundations firmly established, it is time to look to the next chapter in Everton’s journey.”
The group confirmed that it will only consider offers submitted by parties that it believes are capable of building on the progress achieved since its acquisition of the club, indicating that it will continue to support Everton on and off the field throughout the sale process.
This trend comes after a summer transfer period that sparked criticism from some fans, according to British media reports, after the club achieved significant revenues from selling a number of players, while it was content to include a limited number of deals before the transfer market closed.
The Friedkin Group, which also owns the Italian club Roma and French club Cannes, explained that it had hired the investment bank (Moelis & Company) to provide advice on the process of selling the controlling stake.
The group and the club added that they would not make any additional comments until the ongoing procedures are completed.
China's Geng Chenwen, the host of the tournament, presented one of her best performances to defeat Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (6/8) on Friday, in the quarter-finals of the Beijing Open 1000 Tennis Tournament, and reserve her place in the semi-finals.
Chenwen, a wildcard participant in Beijing, achieved her first victory in two straight sets in this year's edition, after spending more than 10 hours on the court to reach the quarter-finals.
The world number 54 enthused the crowd with her winning shots along the lines, but Svitolina, ranked seventh, came back strong and imposed a tiebreak in the second set.
The Chinese player committed a double fault on the first point, but overcame a 0-2 deficit, before falling on her back in joy after the second match point was decided.
The 24-year-old said to the crowd: “Honestly, I was very nervous because I wanted so much to achieve this victory.”
She added: “I played in a very aggressive style in the decisive moments,” noting that her opponent “raised her level” in a close second set.
Svitolina committed only 13 direct errors during the match, which lasted an hour and 47 minutes, but the 2024 Olympic champion surpassed her by scoring 48 winners.
Later on Friday, Polish Iga Swiwontek, champion of the 2023 edition, will meet Belgian Elise Mertens, in a confrontation for the final qualification ticket to the semi-finals.
Jose Mourinho, coach of the Spanish football team Real Madrid, revealed the only club where he did not feel any real human connection throughout his coaching career.
The controversial Portuguese coach admitted that his period with English club Tottenham Hotspur was completely different from any other station in his career.
In a lengthy interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, reported by the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Mourinho stated that he still maintains good relations with most of his former clubs, including Benfica and Porto of Portugal, Chelsea and Manchester United of England, Inter Milan and Roma of Italy, and Fenerbahce of Turkey, noting that Tottenham represents the only exception.
It is noteworthy that Mourinho took over as coach of Tottenham between November 2019 and April 2021, before moving to the Italian League to coach Roma.
Mourinho explained that the Corona virus pandemic had the greatest impact on shaping his experience in the British capital, London. The fans were absent for long periods, and he did not have the opportunity to build a direct bond with the fans.
Mourinho spoke about his period with Tottenham, saying: “That period coincided with the Corona pandemic. There was no human contact, as the stadium was almost empty most of the time. We played two or three matches in the presence of fans, then we played the rest of the matches without fans and without any interaction. "I didn't feel that connection with Tottenham."
The veteran coach (62 years old) also revealed the details of the news that linked him to coaching Real Madrid after his time with Benfica, stressing that the sequence of events went in reverse.
Mourinho revealed: “Usually things start with making contacts, then conversations and rumors appear based on those contacts, but in this case the exact opposite happened. “The conversations and rumors started before any contacts were made.”
He added: “I was surprised by it.” No one spoke to me, and I said to myself: (This is not true). "I never thought it could be real."
