March 28, (THEWILL) – The English Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Masters, testified before a committee of lawmakers on Tuesday, stating that he could not confirm whether the league had launched an investigation into who had control of Newcastle United.
THEWILL recalls that last month, court documents published in the United States raised fresh questions over the link between the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Saudi state. The documents referred to the PIF as “a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” and Newcastle Chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, as “a sitting minister of the Saudi government”.
The EPL allowed the PIF-led takeover of Newcastle in October 2021, after receiving “legally-binding assurances” that the Saudi state would not have control of the club. However, after the publication of the court documents, human rights group, Amnesty International, urged the league to reconsider the takeover.
Masters was unable to comment on whether an investigation into the matter had been launched but stated that the league was aware of the situation. So far, under Saudi ownership and with Eddie Howe as manager, Newcastle United has risen to fifth in the EPL. The club is currently two points off a UEFA Champions League spot but has two games in hand on fourth-placed Tottenham.
The PIF is chaired by the Saudi Prime Minister, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with eight of the nine PIF board members listed on the fund’s website as being either a minister or a royal advisor.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
