Everything you need to know about Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League - including how to watch & team news.

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Championship clubs’ spending on wages exceeded revenue for a fifth successive season in 2021-22, according to a new report. Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance found second-tier teams’ combined wages-to-revenue ratio was an astonishing 108 per cent, as clubs continued to chase the dream of reaching the Premier League. Nottingham Forest, who ultimately succeeded in reaching the top flight at the end of the 2021-22 season via the play-offs, spent almost 200 per cent more on wages than they earned in revenue – £58.6million compared to £29.3m – in their promotion year, according to figures in the Deloitte report. Championship clubs’ total revenue was up 13 per cent in 2021-22 compared to the season before, reaching £676million. However, while wage costs fell for a second consecutive year, they remained higher than revenue for the fifth season in a row. Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “The glamour of Premier League promotion is spearheading the continual drive for investment in Championship clubs, often in an unsustainable manner, driving some clubs to overstretch financially. “It is critical that long-term decisions are now made by clubs’ owners and, with the introduction of the independent regulator, focus will turn to improving the distribution mechanism of revenues between the leagues and clubs. “This must be accompanied by appropriate governance and financial controls to ensure that any proposed solution is suitable and sustainable.” EFL chairman Rick Parry believes the disparity in revenue between the Premier League and the Championship has created a “cliff edge” between the leagues, and argues parachute payments are also fuelling inequality within the Championship. Deloitte’s report underlines the value to clubs of reaching the Premier League. Relative to the 2022-23 season, it says revenue from broadcasters is expected to provide a minimum uplift of more than £90m for Luton, approximately £84m for Sheffield United and £54m for Burnley, with both of those two clubs in receipt of parachute payments whilst participating in the Championship. The report said that should a club suffer immediate relegation, assuming they are not in receipt of parachute payments at that point, under existing arrangements the parachute payments from the Premier League will continue to provide an uplift over the following two seasons of at least £80m. For a Championship club not otherwise in receipt of parachute payments, the value of promotion will be at least £170m across the next three seasons and, if a club survives their first season in the Premier League, they will be entitled to three seasons of parachute payments and the incremental revenue will be over £290m across five years. Discussions over a new financial settlement between the two leagues are ongoing. The Government said in its White Paper on football governance that a new regulator will be given backstop powers to impose a settlement if one cannot be agreed, but it is unlikely the regulator will be up and running until 2024-25 at the earliest. Parry accepts that reform of the distribution package has to go hand in hand with cost control measures, which are also part of the ongoing ‘New Deal For Football’ talks between the EFL, the Premier League and the Football Association. What we really want to see in the English game is a variety and diversity of clubs coming through the league at different points in time Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group Bridge believes it is vital for the leagues to see the common ground they share to resolve the dispute on distribution. “The point I would make is that the longevity of the Premier League and the ability for clubs to move up and down between the Premier League and the Championship and to achieve variety in those clubs is a good thing for the overall brand and the marketing position of English football,” he said. “Part of the beauty of the Premier League is always that any team can beat any other team. And so at any one point in time, what we really want to see in the English game is a variety and diversity of clubs coming through the league at different points in time, bringing new storylines, bringing new faces to the league because frankly that keeps it fresh.” Wage spending in the Premier League in 2021-22 grew by £192m compared to the previous season, but this was outpaced by a £586m increase in revenue, meaning the top flight’s wages-to-revenue ratio fell for the second consecutive season from 71 per cent to 67 per cent. That is still a significantly higher ratio than the average of the three seasons pre-pandemic up to 2018-19 – 58 per cent. Across Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues as a whole however, revenue growth was outpaced by wages, which stood at 12.3 billion euros (£10.5bn). This comes at a time when the continent’s football governing body UEFA has introduced new financial sustainability regulations, including a cost control rule which by 2025-26 will limit a club’s spending on wages, transfer fees and other player and coach costs at 70 per cent of turnover. UEFA could go even further in the future, with president Aleksander Ceferin raising the possibility of a Europe-wide salary cap in an interview in April.

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Liverpool star Luis Diaz’s father has been freed, 13 days after was kidnapped by gunmen in Colombia. Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN), the guerrilla group behind the armed capture of Luis Manuel Diaz nearly two weeks ago, have released the Liverpool forward’s father, Colombia’s government confirmed. Local media reported that Diaz Sr was in a good state of health, with no signs of mistreatment. A post from Liverpool on the platform X said: “We are delighted by the news of Luis Diaz’s father’s safe return and we thank all those involved in securing his release.” Diaz Sr was seized at gunpoint by the ELN on 28 October along with his wife, Cilenis Marulanda, who was freed by police within hours. After a major military search, the government said in a statement that it had held peace talks with the ELN and was now celebrating Diaz’s release. A statement from the Colombian Football Federation said: “We appreciate the national government, the military and the national police, as well as all the institutes and individuals which made possible the freedom of Luis Manuel Diaz, father of our footballer Luis Diaz.” Diaz made an emotional appeal for his father’s release after scoring a late equaliser for Liverpool in their 1-1 draw against Luton on Sunday. The 26-year-old marked the goal by revealing a T-shirt bearing a message reading ‘Freedom for Dad’ and then made a statement calling for his “prompt release”. The Colombia international was named in Liverpool’s starting line-up for their Europa League clash against Toulouse on Thursday evening, which kicks off an hour after Diaz’s father’s release was confirmed. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Diaz was “happy” to play. The ELN said they would release Diaz as long as they received security guarantees from the Colombian government, and claimed they informed the Colombian authorities on 2 November of their intention to release Diaz Sr. On Thursday, local media in Colombia showed Diaz’s father at an airstrip in the city of Valledupar after he descended from a helicopter. Reports said Diaz Sr he would undergo a medical examination before being returned to his family. The kidnapping of Diaz’s father disrupted the Colombian government's peace talks with the rebel group ELN, which restarted last year in hopes of ending the group's part in Colombia's 60-year conflict, which has killed at least 450,000 people. The two sides began a six-month ceasefire in August. The government's negotiating delegation at peace talks with ELN said in a statement it celebrated the liberation and that Diaz was safe and sound, but that the kidnapping "should never have happened." "The current process with the ELN has advanced like no other until today. Regardless, our delegation considers that the kidnapping of Luis Manuel Diaz has placed our dialogue in a critical situation and because of it, the time has come to take decisions to eliminate kidnapping," the statement said. The statement added that all people being held by the ELN must be liberated, though it did not give a figure for remaining hostages. Guerrilla groups in Colombia have historically used kidnapping as a fundraising and pressure tactic. The ELN said a week ago it would free Diaz but his liberation was delayed amid a back-and-forth between the group and the government. The rebels said military operations were impeding liberation efforts, which the army denied. Diaz and his wife Cilenis Marulanda were taken by armed men as they were driving in La Guajira province, near their home town of Barrancas. Cilenis Marulanda, was rescued within hours by police who set up roadblocks around the town of 40,000 people, which is near Colombia’s border with Venezuela. The Colombia Football Federation’s statement continued: “Football as a sporting discipline symbolises talent, dedication, teamwork and the intrinsic values of human beings. “In Colombia it must continue to be a benchmark for entertainment, healthy competition, unity and joy. Therefore, we insist on the need to maintain this activity, as well as those who are involved in it, in the sporting and administrative part and their families, outside of any scenario other than sports. “Behind a ball, the dreams and illusions of boys and girls, young people, women, men and adult soccer players, their loved ones and an entire country roll. Football is passion in peace. Let no one ever think of attacking that reality again.” Includes reporting from Reuters Read More What is VAR, how does it work and what are the biggest problems? Jarell Quansah could fill in for Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk in Toulouse John Obi Mikel recalls Abramovich offering to ‘send people’ to rescue kidnapped dad Klopp and Diaz share emotional moment as player calls for father’s release Being among team-mates feels like a ‘safe place’ for Luis Diaz – Virgil van Dijk Luis Diaz’s father to be released by guerrilla group if ‘guarantees’ are met

The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 28, 2023--

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