Liverpool solves CL ticket
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The trembling is over: Tottenham Hotspur secured relegation on the last matchday of the Premier League. Thanks to João Palhinha on loan from Bayern, Spurs beat Everton FC 1-0 and ended up collecting 41 points. West Ham United, on the other hand, has to go into the second division for the first time since the 2011/12 season. The Hammers won 3-0 against Leeds United, but 39 points after 38 games were not enough. The relegations of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley FC had already been confirmed.
In the fight for the Champions League, Liverpool FC won the fifth ticket after champions Arsenal FC, runners-up Manchester City, Man United and Europa League winner Aston Villa. Chelsea FC, which has the sixth most valuable team in the world at 1.16 billion euros, will not be playing in Europe next season.
West Ham relegation costs taxpayers millions
West Ham’s relegation to the second division is costing taxpayers dearly. The reason for this is the rental agreement for the London Stadium, where the Hammers have played their home games since 2016. West Ham has a 99-year agreement with the City of London. This stipulates that in the event of relegation the club only has to pay half of the annual rent of around 5 million euros (4.4 million pounds). Further commercial revenue from the stadium could decline.
According to Mayor Sadiq Khan, the funding gap in the London budget must be made up for by taxpayers, who already finance the stadium’s operating costs. This would mean an additional 2.8 million euros (2.5 million pounds) in costs. At the same time, the London mayor criticized his predecessor Boris Johnson. In 2012, he concluded “the worst possible deal,” said Khan. In order to prevent the stadium built for the Olympic Games from becoming empty, West Ham was offered a lucrative deal that critics say comes at the expense of taxpayers.
The club owners then sold the Boleyn Ground, also known as Upton Park, despite massive protests. The traditional stadium, where the Hammers played for over 100 years, has since been demolished to make way for housing.
