Money

The Bundesliga should earn some $4.95 billion from domestic broadcast rights for the four years from 2021-22 onwards, the German Football League said on Monday, with Sky awarded the prime package of all Saturday games.

The deals announced on Monday are slightly less lucrative than the existing four-year deal that ends next season. Worth $5.18 billion, that was an 85% jump from the previous agreement.

European soccer body UEFA has temporarily relaxed its break-even rule known as Financial Fair Play, saying it wants to make sure that clubs are not penalized for unforeseen losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic this season.

The European soccer body said in a statement that clubs' accounts for the 2020 and 2021 financial years would be assessed together rather than separately, to give clubs time to recuperate from losses suffered during the last three months.

The suspension of soccer leagues across Europe due to the COVID-19 pandemic will see overall player value drop by 6.6 billion euros ($7.5 billion), or about 18 percent, in the transfer market, KPMG's global head of sports Andrea Sartori said.

The majority of leagues have resumed or are in the process of restarting their seasons behind closed doors before the transfer window reopens, with clubs still reeling from the financial impact of the months-long shutdown.

Tottenham has borrowed $220.40 million from the Bank of England to ease the financial burden due to the loss of revenue amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

The club said it estimated a revenue loss of more than $250 million for the period until June 2021 due to the loss of income from matchday revenue, third party live events and other sporting events at their stadium.

Players are facing a deadline of high noon on Tuesday to avoid being locked out by MLS owners, ESPN reported on Monday.

At odds over the return-to-play tournament in Orlando, players voted to approve a counterproposal but owners had already determined their best offer was on the table, per the report.

French champion Paris Saint-Germain has signed striker Mauro Icardi on a permanent deal from Inter Milan, the Serie A club said on Sunday. Argentine Icardi, 27, joined PSG in September on a season-long loan with a buy-out option.

"FC Internazionale Milano announces the transfer of Mauro Icardi to Paris Saint-Germain FC: the striker, born in 1993, has permanently moved to the French club," Inter said in a statement. "The club thanks the player for the six seasons he spent with us and wishes him the best for his future professional career."

Roger Federer is the world's highest-paid athlete for 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic knocked soccer's Lionel Messi off top spot, according to the annual Forbes list released on Friday.

The Swiss tennis great, owner of a men's record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, earned $106.3 million in the last 12 months, including $100 million via endorsements, to move up four places and become the first player from his sport to top the list.