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Top Confirmed Football Transfer Deals in 2022

Top Confirmed Football Transfer Deals in 2022 

When it comes to transfer deals in football, it can either be heartwarming or heartbreaking. Similarly with sports prediction, if you’re tired of unreliable predictions, then it’s time you switch to https://bookmaker-ratings.net.za/, where you can get betting tips with high accuracy. But that’s by the way, because during the transfer window opening, some clubs use it to make money, while others use it to strengthen their playing strategy.

After all, every club manager, coach and even the players have their eyes on the cup. To achieve this, clubs bargain a transfer deal with another club to acquire players. Whether the club will accept an offer or not depends on the value they place on the player as well as how juicy the offer is. The focus of this article is to highlight the top confirmed transfer deals this year.

  • Luis Diaz

Columbia professional footballer Luis Diaz has signed a five and a half year contract with Liverpool FC at Anfield. The highly-rated Columbia player, Diaz who completed a deal from FC Porto for a fee of £49 million ($67 million), will improve the already solid frontline of Liverpool. During his time at FC Porto, he played a total of two and a half sessions. He also made 125 appearances and scored 41 goals for FC Porto. Wearing a No. 23 shirt, Diaz plays as a forward and midfielder.

  • Bruno Guimarães

Bruno Guimarães, the 24-year old Brazilian soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Newcastle United. He was signed by his former club Olympique Lyonnais for a fee of £33 million ($44 million). At this price, it makes Bruno the second most expensive player in the club’s history. Bruno is perhaps the biggest and most talented midfielder in the market with the Olympic gold award up his sleeve.

  • Dusan Vlahovic

Juventus have agreed to sign striker Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina for £62.8 million ($85 million). Dusan is said to receive a gross salary of $7.8 million $35.3 per season and a total of during his contract. The 22-year old highly-rated Serbian player has been a target for Tottenham and Arsenal. However, Juve beat them to it and signed a four and a half year deal with him. Dusan will be wearing the No 7 shirt for the Serie A side.

  • Hwang Hee-Chan

Wolves are set to sign a permanent deal for £14 million ($18.9 million) with South Korea player Hwang Hee-Chan when his loan from RB Leipzig expires at the end of his season. The 26-year old forward player has scored four goals in 14 Premier League appearances since his arrival at Molineux. Hwang is currently five months into a season loan at Molineux. Now, Wolves has activated a clause that makes Hwang move from RB Leipzig later on the 1st of July 2022, until 2026.

  • Martin Boyle

Hibernian has agreed to sign forward player Martin Boyle to Al-Faisaly after the third bid of around £2.5 million ($3.4 million) plus add-ons. The bid to sign Martin started at $672,000 by the Saudi Arabian club in December, which was turned down. For the second bid, it was increased to $2.6 million, which was also turned down by Hibs until the final offer. Over the past 12 months, his impressive performance of Martin attracted interest from several clubs.

  • Lucas Digne

The Frenchman Lucas Digne is set to join Steven Gerrard’s rank as Aston Villa has completed a £25 million ($34 million) deal to sign him from Everton after several days of negotiation. Napoli, Newcastle, Chelsea, and West Ham were also interested in signing Lucas, but Aston Villa beat them to it. Lucas Digne signing with Aston Villa will be Steven Gerrard’s second signing as manager of Aston. After spending three and a half years in Everton, the 28-year old left-back has a total of 113 appearances and will bring such enthusiasm to Aston Villa.

  • Chris Wood

To strengthen Newcastle’s striking position, Eddie Howe has quickly replaced injured Callum Wilson with Chris Wood. This deal cost Newcastle a whopping £25 million ($33.6 million) to sign him from Burnley to Newcastle. In his two-and-a-half-year deal, Chis is set to come along with his dangerous attacking threats, and physicality and character like no other.

  • Kieran Trippier

Newcastle has signed a two and a half year contract for the England International footballer Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid. This transfer deal cost Newcastle a £12 million ($16 million) plus add-on. The signing of Kieran to Newcastle is the first signing under the new Saudi owners of Newcastle. While many people have high expectations from the 31-year old Kieran, he is as well excited to take up the challenge and fight to keep Newcastle United in the Premier League.

  • Nathan Patterson

Nathan Patterson is also moving from Rangers to Everton after a transfer deal worth £16 million ($21.5 million) was signed. In the deal, the right-back player, Nathan Patterson, will be playing for Everton for five and a half years. This deal makes Nathan the second signing of Everton in the January transfer window.

  • Ferran Torres

After completing his move from Man City to Barcelona in his five-year deal, Ferran Torres is expected to return to Spain. Barcelona has signed a transfer deal worth a £46.3 million ($61.8 million) initial deposit plus a further £8.4 million ($11.2 million) in add-ons for Ferran. Spain forward player, Ferran, will be playing with Barcelona on a five-year deal. The club has also set its buyout clause of $1.12 billion.

In conclusion, this list does not include the names of every confirmed transfer deal of players in 2022, but it includes the most prominent ones. Take note that not all players are the same. Some players are priced higher than others because of their value.

Flat racing: Three UK trainers to watch this season

builds for a summer of British Classics, the sport of horse racing is finally back to normal after a difficult few years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hopefully races behind closed doors are now a thing of the past, as we gear up for the JubileeFestival, which sees the Derby and Oaks take place at Epsom.

It’s still proving hard to call a winner on sites like https://www.betdaq.com/exchange/horse-racing-100004 for either of the races, but the role of the trainer in victory should certainly not go overlooked. A good trainer could well be the difference between success and failure, especially in the British Classics. With that in mind, let’s take a look at three trainers to keep an eye on ahead of this year’s flat racing season.

Charlie Appleby

First up, last year’s Champions flat trainer — a stalwart in the flat racing training game — Charlie Appleby is one of the most successful around, approaching 50 wins this season and boasting a plethora of champions across different categories, including a stable with Noble Style, Symbol of Light, Coroebus and Native Trail.

Godolphin’s frantic start to the season is down to the good work of Appleby as much as anything and heading into the Derby, which he won last year with Adayar, in order to win consecutive races, the trainer believes entering Nations Pridecould be his best chance. Something of a wildcard entrance, the three-year-old could have William Buick aboard, a favourite for Leading Jockey in today’s horse racing tips and earnt praise from Appleby already.

“Nations Pride was impressive at Newmarket and he’s in the French Derby, where we have Modern Games as well,” he said.

“He’ll work on Wednesday then we’ll make a decision as to whether we supplement him on Monday. We’re hoping we will—there’s only one Derby and you only want to go there if you think you can win it. He has a great profile and ticks most boxes out of our three possible runners.”

William Haggas

When it comes to recent form, not many have done better than William Haggas as of late. The British trainer enjoyed a respectable 2021, where he was just pipped by Appleby to the Leading Trainer title, but did manage 180 winners, with highlights including the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Prix Du Moulin. While also successful in Australia and Dubai, Haggas will be hoping for more wins on home soil this year, with his star thoroughbred Addeybb hoping to improve on a rather underwhelming performance to end last season on, where he wilted to fifth in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Roger Varian

Something of an outsider in the billing for Trainer of the Year, Roger Varian has managed to slip under the radar in the early weeks of the season, but did in fact earn over £600,000 in prize money last year — more than Aidan O’Brien and Michael Appleby. He’s looking to add the 31 wins he has racked up already this season with success at Haydock. His best chance stands with Dragon Symbol, with Varian speaking highly of the four-year-old in the build up to the Nifty Fifty Achilles Stakes.

“He’s come out of his run at York well and he’s worked nicely, so he’s ready to run again.” He said: “We were disappointed at York but we can’t find a reason for it – perhaps he just ran a bit fresh and needed it.

“We are planning to go to Haydock and he looks in good shape, so hopefully we can get back on track on Saturday. It looks a good opportunity on paper and he should cope with the ground and the drop back to five furlongs, so we’re looking forward to running him again.”

Five richest football players

Being a good football player might not let you become very rich. Recently, athletes have been getting bigger amounts of money, however, talent does not always mean immediate financial success.

 

Based on celebritynetworth.com, forbes.com, and money.com, here is a list of the wealthiest football players in the world.

 

5. Wayne Rooney – $ 170 million

 

The peak of Rooney’s career is long gone, but even now, in 2022, he remains one of the world’s wealthiest footballers. The legendary Englishman made most of his capital playing for Manchester United. Through 13 seasons with the Red Devils, Wayne repeatedly concluded the contract, ultimately becoming the top player in the Premier League. His most considerable contract was worth about 15 million euros per year, and with advertising, he made 23.6 million dollars. In 2020, Rooney joined Derby County, as a player and coach. In January 2021 Wayne announced he officially stopped playing and became Derby’s full-time coach. All the updates on his career are available at Bookmaker Ratings India.

 

4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – $ 190 million

 

Zlatan is renowned for his eccentric attitude and playing for Inter from 2006 to 2009. From Inter, Ibra transferred to Barcelona and then back to Italy, to Milan. In 2012, Zlatan moved to PSG and has gradually become one of the richest footballers. In the course of the next five years, he acquired roughly 15 million euros a year – first at PSG, then at Manchester United. In 2017, Ibrahimovic settled on a lower pay of 6.5 million euros in Manchester United, and in 2018 he moved to the United States – to the American Los Angeles Galaxy. In 2022, 40-year-old Ibra plays for Milan and still shows a fantastic play for fair money. The Swede’s earnings currently are 6 million euros. Zlatan also earns in other ways, like, for example, advertising for Nivea, Nike, and Microsoft.

 

3. Neymar – $ 200 million

Neymar, after Messi and Ronaldo, is one of the main stars of his era. However, the Brazilian footballer has not yet opened his potential to a 100%.  After an exceptional playing for Barcelona, ​​Neymar transferred to PSG. There he scored a lot but had a lot of trouble too. On the pitch, the Brazilian footballer often simulates and clashes with the judges, and off the field, he expresses that he wants to go back to Barcelona. Despite his difficult character, Neymar is among the most affluent football players in the world. PSG spent 222 million euros on the player and offered a generous salary – under the agreement, Neymar gets 70 million dollars per year and another 25 million for advertising.

 

2. Lionel Messi – $ 400 million

 

Considered by many the best footballer in history. In 2021 the Argentinean became a free agent after he had left Barcelona. Messi joined PSG soon after leaving Camp Nou. The French team offered Leo a $41 million net annual salary. The contract was signed for two years and can be extended for another year.

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo – $ 500 million

 

In the summer of 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive player in EPL history when he signed a contract with Manchester United for two years. This way, he returned to England after over ten years with Real Madrid and Juventus. Although the Red Devils are not at their height at the moment, Cristiano Ronaldo should not worry about his funds. Much like Lionel Messi, Ronaldo has got a two-year contract with the possibility of an extension for another year.

 

Bookmakers and sports betting online

Online bookmakers have been steadily gaining popularity in recent years. More and more people in different countries bring additional sensations to watching matches by betting on the outcome of meetings of certain teams and athletes.

Many of them try to turn their hobby into an additional source of income, and some of them make it their main profession and earn money by betting on a sport.

 

If you are going to take the first steps in this field, you will need the recommendations of knowledgeable people who have managed to achieve some success in the game on the sweepstakes in low deposit casinos. Their advice will help you avoid typical mistakes and avoid falling for the bait of scammers who offer services for providing paid predictions for sports and other events.

How to choose a bookmaker?

Remember the main thing:

 

When choosing an online betting site, you should give preference to reliable resources that have been working for a long time and are respected by a large number of players.

Little-known firms may offer better conditions, but you must make sure that this is an honest institution that will not deceive you later.

 

Be sure to pay attention to the following points:

 

  • license,
  • owner information,
  • variety of rates
  • odds,
  • user reviews,
  • registration.

 

Also, feel free to do the following:

 

  • Study the rules carefully
  • Chat with support
  • Ask questions to real betting customers.
  • All this will help you make an overall impression.

 

You should not be limited to playing in one office. In any case, study the offers of different operators. Growing competition forces them to make all sorts of concessions, offer good bonuses, increase odds, and so on.

 

What sport do you prefer?

Naturally, the one in which you are best versed. Otherwise, you will act almost blindly, and this is nothing more than a lottery.

 

  • It is not recommended to bet on the teams you support.
  • It is unlikely that you will be able to adequately assess their chances if you passionately wish them victory. Of course, if you’re betting on third party predictions, these tips don’t make sense.

 

How to analyze events?

Here are some practical tips on how to place bets at bookmakers:

 

  • At first, it will be better if you stop at one sport (in a pinch, two or three, if time permits).
  • You will need to closely monitor everything that happens in it.
  • You should know all the news, read as many interviews as possible (not only athletes and coaches, but also columnists, agents, directors and other people involved in the sport).
  • Pay attention to the place where the meeting is held, to the referees who will serve it, to the injured players, to the motivation and so on.
  • Be sure to study the statistics.
  • As you can imagine, sports analytics is a labor-intensive business. You have to spend a lot of time on it if you want to be successful. That is why it is important to genuinely love sports so that betting is fun and does not turn into a routine.

 

How to choose sports betting?

If you’re serious about the matter, learn to bet on your own.

 

Do not rely on so-called experts who offer their forecasts for free or for free.

 

Also, do not start only from the size of the coefficients. You must use the information that you have personally collected and processed.

 

How to manage money?

When planning the size of bets, you need to take into account the likelihood of protracted failures. Nobody is safe from them.

 

You must distribute the available bankroll in such a way that you have the opportunity to wait out even a very long “black bar”. It is usually recommended not to bet on one event more than two to four percent of the available cash reserve.

 

How to deal with strategies?

Be careful with all betting systems.

 

Strategies in bookmakers are not a panacea.

 

Moreover, their effectiveness is greatly exaggerated by their fans. In fact, some of them can help systematize the process, but none of them can increase the chance of winning (whatever the “experts” tell you).

 

How to tune in psychologically?

In everything that has to do with excitement, you need to learn to control yourself. Winning should not make you euphoric, and losing should not drive you into a panic.

 

You should learn to stick to a pre-selected plan, not exceed reasonable bet sizes, and stop on time.

How to use forks?

Searching for “arbs” in different bookmakers is a favorite pastime of many betting fans. Still, because they allow you to stay in the black regardless of the result of a sporting event. But it is unlikely that you will be able to consistently earn money on them.

 

The fact is that “forks” have become a rarity in offices. Their appearance is monitored by sweepstakes employees, and the size of the possible winnings is very low. In addition, bookmakers often refuse service to those who constantly engage in such practices.

 

How to choose forecasts?

If you do decide to use the predictions of people who understand sports betting better than you, look for real experts (although this can be very difficult). Rely on the recommendations of your friends and never trust random specialists that you found by searching the Internet.

 

But, as we said above, it is better to gain knowledge and skills yourself. This commodity never spoils and can always be turned into money.

 

Do not be lazy to learn and do not stop developing. This is extremely important in this craft.

 

What are the chances of Ireland in the Nations League?

General view of the draw for League B Soccer Football - UEFA Nations League 2022/23 draw - Nyon, Switzerland - December 16, 2021 UEFA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

The UEFA Nations League is one of the youngest football tournaments, founded just 4 years ago in 2018.

The tournament, split into a league/group system is designed with competitive football in mind – replacing the friendlies that would otherwise occupy the FIFA International Match Calendar.

This year, Ireland is in Group B with Ukraine, Scotland and Armenia battling it out to earn the promotion to Group A.

What is the UEFA Nations League?

The UEFA Nations League, founded in 2018, is a football tournament held every 2 years with the European men’s senior national teams battling out for the overall title. 

 

A total of 55 teams make up the tournament, with member associations of UEFA making up the full list of competitors.

 

The league was created to replace the international friendly games that would previously be found on the FIFA International Match Calendar with the Nations League offering more competitive football. 

When will the UEFA Nations League be played?

The next scheduled UEFA Nations League will be played in three parts with the tournament stretching almost a full 2 years. 

 

The 22-23 UEFA Nations League league phase is played between June 2022 and September 2022. The Nations League Finals will then be played in June 2023, followed by the relegation play-outs in March 2024. 

How is the Nations League structured?

The Nations League is structured with all of the 55 UEFA teams grouped into four separate leagues, A-D. 

 

These leagues – made up of 16 teams each (with the expectation of League D) – are dictated by the 20-21 UEFA Nations League overall ranking. Each of the 4 leagues and made up of 4 groups, with each team playing four times within their group. 

 

The top teams in League A compete to win the overall title of UEFA Nations League champions, currently held by France. This is decided in the Nations League Finals made up of the four teams ranked at the top of the four groups. 

 

In the lower leagues, promotion and relegation are possible with the bottom team in groups A, B and C relegated to the lower level. The top teams in B, C and D are promoted to the next league. 

What are the chances of Ireland in the Nations League?

In the 22-23 UEFA Nations League, Ireland can be found in League B alongside Ukraine, Scotland and Armenia. 

 

Ireland is set to play Armenia on June 4th, Ukraine on June 14th and finally Scotland on September 24th. 

 

The odds of each game can be found in most sportsbooks online with Ireland currently rated at 11/4 from Bet365 to earn their promotion. 

Where to bet on Ireland in the UEFA Nations League

The UEFA Nations League is available to bet on with all major sportsbooks, but not all online betting platforms are created equally. 

 

Bettors looking for the best odds on the tournament should turn their attention to SBK, a mobile-only sportsbook powered by Smarkets. The sportsbook is rewriting the rulebook of the traditional sports betting site with a transparent approach taken in all aspects of the app. 

 

The Price+ feature is one of the most impressive on the app, allowing bettors to find the best possible price for the biggest wins. In addition to the fully transparent, competitive odds, bettors are also able to follow others placing wagers in the markets. Whether that’s friends or the top performers on the app, SBK combines a typical sportsbook with a social network for a reimagined app. 

 

New bettors signing up to SBK for the first time can claim a sizeable welcome bonus with a “Bet £10 Get £30 Free Bets” promo currently running. Read more about the SBK promo code where you can find all information about SBK and how to activate the bonus,

The takeaway

With Scotland, Armenia and Ukraine as the competitors for the 22-23 season, the odds of Ireland earning a promotion to Group A are good. 

 

Bettors looking to place a bet on Ireland in the UEFA Nations League can find some of the most competitive odds available at SBK. New bettors at the sportsbook looking to sign-up for the first time can claim a “Bet £10 Get £30 Free Bets” offer at the site. 

 

The latest odds on each Ireland game and future bets available can all be found online on the sportsbook. 

How to watch football online – Top 6 live football streaming sites

Football is a passion shared by millions of people across the globe. 

But if there’s a problem that only true fans can relate to, it’s the lack of events on cable television.

Regular viewers are happy to watch the classic tournaments like Champions League or FIFA and are enthusiastic about playing at nongamstopbookiesuk.com  . However, those who want to watch international football need to find a cheap and efficient way to enjoy live matches.

Based on dozens of experiments with different platforms, we’ve discovered that the best solution is using a live streaming site. 

Below, we’ve curated a list of the best live football streaming sites and included some tips to help you get started right away.

Let’s begin!

Tips for using a live football streaming site

If you’re completely new to live to stream services, here are some insights that should get you on the right track:

  • Avoid completely free alternatives: live streaming services that don’t have a paid subscription generally lack most of the important events, and most of them are loaded with pop-up ads.  You can still use this type of platform, but you won’t be getting access to some of the more exclusive matches.
  • Freemium platforms are worth a shot: the platforms that offer you a free trial to test the service are the best since you’re getting a lot of value, and you can see exactly what you will pay for in advance.
  • Consider buying a VPN: if you’re from Canada, but you want to watch a game from the UK, it may not be possible without a VPN. This program changes your IP address to match the geo-location of the country where the match is played. Be careful. Not all platforms allow a VPN, so read their policy before proceeding.  
  • Watch football matches on an online gaming site –  reputable online bookmakers offer users access to live streams for free, with the option to bet during the game. This option is cheap and gives you a chance to win extra money. We suggest you run an analysis and only sign up on websites tested by industry experts. You will know if the platform is secure and what events are available on the live stream.

 

Now that you understand the basics of live streaming, let’s have a look at the top-recommended platforms.

Official football live streams

The services below are approved by the officials and have a streaming licence for all of their games:

Sky Sports

Sky Sports is the best football live streaming platform available out there. Fans love it because it offers access to highly curated video highlights and a news section managed by some of the industry’s top sports journalists.

The platform does not require registration to watch most games, but it has ads to compensate. Additionally, you can purchase Sky Sports Premium if you want to get access to even more matches on any device you prefer.


BT Sport App

 

Bt Sports is known as the “Heart of Sport.” They are similar to Sky sports, but their media coverage mainly focuses on the English and Scottish leagues. 

 

The platform has a clean interface, and it requires registration to get access to the stream. The content available for free is limited, but you can buy a monthly pass that offers you access to the most critical leagues for only $30. 

They also provide a news channel that offers real-time insights from the most recent games and a podcast where they invite some of the most reputable people from the sports industry. Their vision is to replace the retail contract with a gamified version of a “monthly pass.”

 

ESPN Watch

 

ESPN’s free sports streaming site offers a high-quality user interface that makes you feel like you’ve paid for the service.

Note: ESPN Watch is a freemium service. You can purchase an ESPN+ monthly subscription for $5.99 that will offer you access to exclusive content.

 

The ESPN site is mainly focused on US and Canada sports, but it is still a valuable resource for anyone who loves football. It offers highlights, game commentaries, players and all sorts of helpful information that you can use to learn more about the game.

Although the ESPN channel is available on most cable TV, the online streaming version can come in handy when you’re not home when an important game is on. You can download WatchESPN(available on Android and iOS) and watch the competition directly on your mobile device.

Unofficial live streams 

 

The internet is a diverse place where you can find hundreds of “unofficial” sources where you can watch football games live. These sources don’t have an excellent reputation in the community (since they’re unlicensed), but they are free and don’t usually require creating an account.

Here is a list of our favourite  unofficial football streaming platforms 

Streamonsport

 

By using Streamonsport, you get access to a wide range of international events for free.

 You can watch your favourite football games on all types of devices without creating an account. However, some individual streams (especially important events) will require signing to view them.

 From our experience, there are some occasional pop-up ads, but they don’t appear during the match. The site also offers a live chat feature to talk to other soccer fans from around the world.

Facebook Watch Live

Facebook recently introduced the “Watch” feature that works similarly to Youtube. 

Available on mobile and desktop, the Facebook Watch enables users to search for any type of content (including live stream) without any geo-location restrictions. This free platform includes a wide range of unofficial live football streams, but it shows you ads constantly, which can be bothersome in key moments of the game.

Live Soccer TV

Live Soccer TV is one of the largest sites where you can find live football matches for free. They have over 20 million monthly visitors, and their website is more than just a streaming platform. 

They offer a mobile app, the full schedule for all the football matches and impressive streaming quality. If you miss out on a game, you can find it in their archive. 

The best part? 

Live Soccer TV does not require you to sign up, but you will get pop-up ads from time to time (which is normal, given that this is an entirely free service). If the site is not working, you can use a VPN to fix the connectivity issue.

Wrapping up –  Which option is best for you?


Now that you’re more familiar with the best live football streaming sites on the market, you may be wondering:

“How do I know which platform is better for me?”

The answer is: It depends.

If you want access to a wide range of sports events targeted towards your region, go for an official source. 

However, if you prefer watching international sports, you may need to use a VPN. In this case, we recommended going for an unofficial live stream since their policies don’t restrict the use of third-party tools. 

From our experience, the most efficient and affordable alternative is using an online sportsbook that offers live streaming services. Even though their library may not be as vast as the other options, you can make some money by placing live bets as you watch.

Have fun and enjoy a new way of watching your favourite football games

URC Quarter Final – Ulster v Munster – Preview, tickets & kick off time

Galway team 2022 Connacht Final
Galway team 2022 Connacht Final

The United Rugby Championship Play-Offs will kick off on Friday, June 3 with Ulster v Munster. 

Four games will take place across Friday, June 3and Saturday, June 4 with Ulster’s home Quarter-final with Munster serving as the curtain raiser to the ‘Final Eight’ at 19:35 UK / IRE (20:35 SA).

Saturday will see three consecutive Quarter-final clashes with the action beginning and ending in South Africa.

The Vodacom Bulls will host the league’s first-ever Play-Off game on South African soil when they face Cell C Sharks in Pretoria at 12:45 UK / IRE (13:45SA). The action then returns to the northern hemisphere as Leinster take on Glasgow Warriors in Dublin at 15:15 UK / IRE (16:15 SA) before Edinburgh’s trip to Cape Town to face the DHL Stormers at 18:00 UK / IRE (19:00 SA).

The timings of each game have allowed for the possibility of extra-time and a place-kicking competition. In Ireland, the Ulster and DHL Stormers fixtures will be available live on TG4 with the Leinster and Vodacom Bulls games screened by RTÉ.

All four games in the Final Eight will be broadcast live in the UK and Ireland by Premier Sports and by SuperSport in South Africa while URC TV will serve fans in Ireland and internationally.

United Rugby Championship Final Eight (Fri, Jun 3 & Sat, Jun 4)

 

Friday, June 3

Ulster v Munster

19:35 UK/IRE (20:35 SA)

Kingspan Stadium, Belfast

 

Saturday, June 4

Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks

12:45 UK/IRE (13:45 SA)

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

 

Leinster v Glasgow Warriors

15:15 UK/IRE (16:15 SA)

RDS Arena, Dublin

DHL Stormers v Edinburgh

18:00 UK/IRE (19:00 SA)

DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Play-Off Pathway

 

QF1: Leinster v Glasgow Warriors

QF2: DHL Stormers v Edinburgh

 

QF3: Ulster v Munster

QF4: Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks

Winners of QF1 play at home to winners of QF4 in Semi-final 1

Winners of QF2 play at home to winners of QF3 in Semi-finals 1

Team with highest ranking from regular season league table will host URC Grand Final

Semi-Final 1: Leinster/Glasgow Warriors v Vodacom Bulls/Cell C Sharks

Semi-Final 2: DHL Stormers/Edinburgh v Ulster v Munster

 

Rankings for the URC Final Eight were determined by each team’s placing in the league table.

  1. Leinster (67 points)
  2. DHL Stormers (61 points)
  3. Ulster (59 points)
  4. Vodacom Bulls (58 points)
  5. Cell C Sharks (57 points)
  6. Munster (56 points)
  7. Edinburgh (54 points)
  8. Glasgow Warriors (50 points)

Leinster Hurling – Kilkenny v Wexford – Preview, Stats and Starting Teams

Wexford need to win to have a chance of staying in the All-Ireland race. A Kilkenny win would take them into the Leinster final.

Click here for Livescores for Kilkenny v Wexford

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS

2021: Kilkenny 2-37 Wexford 2-29 aet (Leinster semi-final)

2019: Kilkenny 1-18 Wexford 0-21 (Leinster ‘round robin)

2018: Kilkenny 0-22 Wexford 1-18 (Leinster ‘round robin’)

2017: Wexford 1-20 Kilkenny 3-11 (Leinster semi-final)

2015: Kilkenny 5-25 Wexford 0-16 (Leinster semi-final)

They meet for a second successive year, with Kilkenny having won an epic Leinster semi-final by eight points after extra-time last year. Wexford’s last win over Kilkenny in the championship was in 2017.

Kilkenny and Wexford have met 15 times in the championship since Brian Cody took over as Cats’ boss in late 1998. It’s 12-2 to Kilkenny with one drawn in those games, with Wexford’s only wins coming in the 2004 and 2017 Leinster semi-finals.

Kilkenny are attempting to reach the Leinster final for the fifth successive year. Wexford were last there in 2019.

Top Scorers (Round Robin)

KILKENNY
TJ Reid………………2-21 (0-16 frees, 0-1 ‘65’) Austin Murphy…..0-15 (0-10 frees)
Adrian Mullen……0-14

WEXFORD
Lee Chin……………..0-28 (0-20 frees, 0-2 ‘65s) Conor McDonald….2-7
Rory O’Connor………1-10 (0-4

STARTING TEAMS

Kilkenny team v Wexford 2022
Kilkenny team v Wexford 2022
Wexford team to play Kilkenny 2022
Wexford team to play Kilkenny 2022

 

Leinster Hurling – Galway v Dublin – Preview, Stats & Starting Teams

galway hurlers
Galway hurlers Warm up

A draw would be enough for Galway to clinch a place in the Leinster final. A draw would keep Dublin in the All-Ireland race while a win would see them reach the final.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS

2021: Dublin 1-18 Galway 1-14 (Leinster quarter-final)
2019: Dublin 3-19 Galway 0-24 (Leinster ‘round robin’)
2018: Galway 0-26 Dublin 2-19 (Leinster ‘round robin’)
2017: Galway 2-28 Dublin 1-17 (Leinster quarter-final)
2015: Galway 5-19 Dublin 1-18 (Leinster quarter-final) Replay

This will be the 12th championship match between the counties, with Dublin leading 7-3 while there was one draw in the previous eleven. Dublin won the last two in 2019 and 2021.

Galway man, Mattie Kenny has two championship wins under his belt over his native county as Dublin manager. They won a ‘round robin’ tie by four points in 2019 and had the same margin to spare in last year’s Leinster semi-final.

Galway manager, Henry Shefflin played eight times for Kilkenny against Dublin in the championship and was on the winning side on all eight occasions. Dublin drew with, and beat Kilkenny, in the 2013 Leinster semi-final but Shefflin missed both games.

Dublin scored only one goal (v Laois in the opening round) in their first four ‘round robin’ games. Galway scored seven gaols in their four games.

Top Scorers (Round Robin) DUBLIN
Donal Burke….0-45 (0-30 frees) Rian McBride…0-9
Chris Crummey…0-5

GALWAY
Conor Cooney…….1-28 (0-20 frees, 1-0 pen, 0-2 ‘65s’) Joseph Cooney……..2-13
Tom Monaghan……..0-14

STARTING TEAMS

Galway hurlers v Dublin 2022
Galway hurlers v Dublin 2022

  • Dublin hurlers v Galway 2022
    Dublin hurlers v Galway 2022

 

Sports sponsorship: these are the sports where the most money flows!

It’s no secret that companies fund sports clubs. In 2019, a staggering 30 billion US dollars flowed into various clubs in every conceivable sport worldwide as part of sports sponsorship. Yet the sport of soccer is still the measure of all things. Meanwhile, the gaming industry is also jumping on the trend – like CasinoSource.ie – and both sides are reaping the benefits of financially strong support. For marketing purposes, the sport is ideally suited because billions of fans actively support their clubs and visibility for sponsors is significantly increased. Regardless of whether it’s shirt advertising or banner advertising, without sponsors the clubs have little chance of surviving financially and achieving sporting success.

This is how the billions of sponsorship dollars in sports are divided up

As already mentioned, the sport of soccer plays an overriding role in the topic of sponsorship. In terms of the annual investment sum (2019) of more than 30 billion US dollars, around 13 billion US dollars are invested in global socceralone. That is already a considerable sum. In racing – such as Formula 1 – the sum still amounts to 2.5 billion U.S. dollars. But the differences are clear here, and the extent to which soccer in particular plays an enormously important role for sponsors. Other sports where sponsors like to advertise their brand are basketball, Olympic sports and American football, each with around 2.2 billion US dollars.

They are followed by golf, baseball, rugby and ice hockey. Sponsors invest the least money in boxing and sailing. Tennis, on the other hand, receives around one billion US dollars in sponsorship money. Recently, online casinos and sports betting providers have also been investing as part of sponsorship, because the gambling industry has become established in society. Gone are the days when clubs and associations refused casino sponsors and even in America (especially American football) more and more collaborations between clubs and the gambling industry are taking place.

These are the profitable deals in soccer sponsorship!

To illustrate the sums that flow in soccer alone, some deals are now presented. The Spanish club Barcelona refused to sponsor for a long time (until 2006). But now the retail chain Rakuten pays a whopping 65 million a year to the club. Other sponsors of the successful club include Nike and Qatar Airways. Barcelona is therefore not only the most successful soccer club of this century, but also one of the most profitable in terms of sponsorship. The financial backers are literally scrambling for a partnership with the club. But Real Madrid also finances its expensive players through marketing and sponsorship. Several brands have invested in the soccer club in recent years. With a value of about 3.4 billion euros, Real Madrid (as of 2021) is incidentally the most valuable soccer club in the entire world.

Since 2014, Adidas and Chevrolet have been considered Manchester United’s main sponsors. The club earns a whopping 187 million euros per year from these two sponsors, but they are far from being the club’s only sponsors. However, the world’s most successful soccer clubs also need financially strong partners to pay the horrendous player salaries. In addition, sums are sometimes transacted on the transfer market that would be almost impossible to manage without strong partners from sponsorship. Of course, the sponsors do not undertake this financial tour de force entirely altruistically. The visibility of the brands is increased and, in the medium term, the investment naturally pays off. So both sides benefit from sponsorship in the soccer business.

Betting providers and online casinos are also active sponsors

Around 70 percent of all professional soccer teams in the European TOP leagues are also financially supported by gambling providers. Soccer at European level is the most actively watched sport in the world. Here, the English Premier League takes the highest percentage of viewership. Many clubs have contracts with sponsors from the gambling industry. Why not? Many fans who support their club also like to invest in sports betting and place a bet on the victory of their team. It is interesting to note that in soccer there are certain tendencies for victory or defeat. There are clear favorites and outsiders. Therefore, results can be estimated, at least potentially.

Without financiers, the billion-dollar business in soccer does not work. Running a successful club requires large sums of money to be invested. Player salaries, training, huge amounts of other personnel and the maintenance costs for sometimes huge stadiums alone cost a lot of money. It is therefore all the more understandable that soccer clubs go in search of sponsors. For the most successful and well-known clubs, this does not matter, because sponsors – including those from the casino industry and betting providers – are literally lining up. Smaller clubs rely on a variety of sponsors and also gratefully accept offers from the gambling industry. As is alreadyknown, the best-paid athletes in the world are to be found in the sport of soccer. In soccer, capital is also partly responsible for success. The best players cost vast sums in transfer fees. But only the best players are a guarantee for success in the game.

These are the future trends in sports marketing

What is generally a certain trend is also used by athletes. Not only in soccer do athletes market themselves as influencers. A typical example is PSG’s superstar Neymar. His income has long been derived from only a fraction of the – quite lavish – player’s salary. The new “digital heroes” from the sports industry generate millions in sales thanks to financially strong sponsors. So it’s not just the clubs and associations that benefit from advertising partners, but the athletes themselves. This is also important because sports careers are of limited duration. All social platforms are used intensively. The athletes and clubs do this at a high level.

It’s not done with the advertising partner’s logo on the jersey or stadium advertising. Meanwhile, sponsors are marketing their products and services through emotionality and storytelling. Current social issues also find expression in individual advertising in sports. The credibility of the advertising partners plays an important role here. Increasingly, the combination of sponsor and athlete or sports club is also important. These have to fit together. Not just any brand fits the soccer club. Here, strategists behind the scenes try to find harmonious advertising partners that fit into the club’s concept. This strategy is called “branding” and is being pursued more and more often.

Of course, it is also about addressing the right target group. On a sporting and financial level, attempts are made to find the right combination of sponsorship and club image building. Sponsors will continue to be indispensable for the sport in the future, and the two levels also harmonize splendidly with each other.

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