Today in the news: Sunderland are set to profit from the Qatar World Cup this winter, whilst a former Black Cat is the favourite to become a manager for the first time. Also, are the EFL about to scrap the 3pm blackout?
WORLD CUP WINDFALL
Firstly, a FIFA announcement confirmed that around £189million has been set aside for clubs with representatives at the upcoming tournament. The rules for this payout are a bit complex, but here's the jist of it...
For every day a player remains with their national team during the break, the clubs they are contracted to will be given around £9,000 per player. This will start from the day the player joins up with their national team and ends when the nation plays its final game of the tournament. But clubs will only receive the full payout for players who were signed at least two years before the start of the tournament. For players that have signed for a club within the last two years, the payment will be shared proportionally.
Sunderland have two players going to the World Cup, with Bailey Wright and Jewison Bennette representing Australia and Costa Rica. The club will receive the full £9,000 daily for Wright, as he signed in 2020. But Bennette of course arrived in 2022, meaning SAFC will share the £9,000 per day with his former club Herediano.
CATTS TO MANAGE BORO?
Meanwhile, former Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole is now the bookies' favourite to take over at Middlesbrough, after talks with Michael Carrick broke down last night. Cattermole is part of the temporary coaching set-up that was installed in the immediate aftermath of Chris Wilder’s departure.
He only retired in 2020, but has been working on his coaching badges ever since and was named U-18s coach in January this year. At just 34, he is wildly inexperienced but is well-regarded at Boro having impressed in the last 10 months.
3PM BLACKOUT RULE CHANGE
Finally Sunderland could be affected by a major EFL rule change that may see 3pm kick-offs be allowed to be televised. Football is currently prohibited from being shown on a Saturday between 2:45pm and 5:15pm, in order to protect attendances up and down the football pyramid. It has been in place since the 1960s. However, it is suggested that the EFL are prepared to scrap this rule in their next TV rights deal from the start of the 2024/25 season in an effort to attract the likes of Google, Amazon, Netflix, Facebook and Apple, as well as traditional domestic rights holders Sky Sports and BT.
It is claimed an invitation will be sent out this week, where potential broadcasters can submit their own ideas and proposals. The EFL’s chief commercial officer Ben Wright said: “Whilst the appetite for EFL football remains stronger than ever, we want to grow this audience further. We are inviting proposals from organisations that can enhance and develop the league’s offering, taking a new and innovative approach to how people consume EFL content. Alongside the EFL’s rich tradition and distinguished history there is a desire to evolve, grow and innovate in order to grow our audience further and we’re looking for a partner or partners who share that vision.”
