Hello and welcome to our brand new show, The Breakdown. I’m Charlie Stebbings, and joining me on this ride is legendary sports executive Charlie Methven. It’s a big show this week. So much to cover, a fight as always to keep it to the point. Managers are back on the menu as we take a look at the ongoing discussion on whether power of selection should like with the head coach or the medical department. That inevitably feeds into a quick look at the chaos unleashed by Oliver Glasner in the media last weekend. It’s then the turn of tennis to celebrate the start of the Australian Open and a look at whether the Grand Slams should give a higher percentage of revenue to the players, before wrapping up with a look at F1 on the week the liveries for the 2026 season are revealed; how important is how the car looks to the brands spending tens of millions to sponsor them? Let’s get straight to it. Welcome to The Breakdown!

Elite athletes who have achieved everything in their sport while building a career alongside; it’s the ambition many sports stars have today. But how do you do it effectively? Petr Cech is a footballing legend, and I don’t use that term lightly. Four Premier League titles, a Champions League, record for the most Premier League clean sheets, and hugely respected as one of the most dedicated and attentive professionals the game has seen. He also has an MBA, is studying for a PhD, runs multiple businesses, and I need two hands to count the number of languages he speaks.

The philosophy that has driven this? Win, that’s what it’s all about. If not then what’s the point. As you’ve just heard this is a theme that runs throughout. It also poses the question we wrestle most with on the show which is how to do that consistently and run a great business. I’ll get the apology in early, yes this was very exciting for me (and Harry too). Sitting across the table from someone who has given you some of your greatest memories as a fan is pretty cool, not many other ways I can say it. Just breeze through it.

But what I can say is we’ve met few people are impressive or generous with their time who leave you genuinely in awe of but their successes and the processes they’ve adopted to achieve it. I promise you don’t just need to be a Chelsea fan to enjoy this. We’re delighted to welcome Petr to the Business of Sport.

On today’s show we discuss:

Elite Mentality, Preparation & Winning:

• ​Why preparation beats talent under pressure and how Petr approached the biggest moments of his career.
• ​What truly separates elite performers when everything is on the line.
• ​Why winning is a mindset before it’s a tactic.

Leadership, Standards & Team Culture:

• ​How winning environments are built and sustained over time.
• ​The role of managers, players and dressing-room standards in elite teams.
• ​Why culture collapses when accountability disappears.

Setbacks, Injury & Perspective:

• ​How a life-threatening head injury changed the way Petr approached football and life.
• ​Why fear never disappeared, but how he learned to perform alongside it.
• ​The difference between confidence and control at the highest level.

From Pitch to Boardroom:

• ​Transitioning from player to executive and seeing football from the inside.
• ​Why football performance must always come before commercial priorities.
• ​How decision-making, incentives and governance shape success off the pitch.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show:

Gemini Sports

We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/

Slate

The complete content creation platform for social teams https://slateteams.com/

EMW

A pleasure to work with leading sports & entertainment agency EMW on this show

https://emw-global.com/

Another huge week to dissect today with a quick look back at how one of the stories in particular has developed from last week. Today it’s the turn of the chaotic world of media rights after DAZN pulled out of another league deal in Belgium, the rise of darts (at your request) and how the sport has transformed to get to where it is today, and rugby; in the wake of the challenger league R360 delaying its launch, is there even demand for a non-international rugby competition? It’s been amazing seeing the response to the show last week so a huge thank you to that. Keep commenting, keep suggesting topics, and we’ll keep tailoring it to match what you want to hear. Let’s get on with the show.

We think we know what the financial world of a footballer looks like. But the reality is very different. There is much more to understand than the salaries that media outlets publish like football scores. And if we’re honest, it’s never done to encourage a positive response. So what is the financial reality that faces some of sports most influential stars?

Matt Smith played over 500 games in the Football League, for some big clubs: Leeds, Fulham, QPR, Millwall. But Matt had always had a different path to many players. He went to university, he’s done an MBA, and now has co-founded a venture capital business specifically geared towards opening up investment opportunities to athletes, but most importantly, with their best interests at heart. The fact I even need to say that is an indicator of where some of the big problems lie.

This conversation was special for a number of reasons. Firstly and personally, because a conversation we had with Matt years ago was one of the first moments that triggered this show becoming a thing. Secondly, because this is a space that us, the fan and casual commentator, need to know more about. Not to mention the value this brings to any of you who are athletes facing these same situations. It’s financial reality with some quite extraordinary club stories to enjoy.

On today’s show we discuss:

Footballers, Money & Responsibility:

• Why modern players outsource too much decision-making and how that leaves them financially exposed.

• The illusion of wealth in football, short careers, and the pressure of lifestyle inflation.

• Why earning more money actually increases the need for better judgment.

  
  

Agents, Advice & a Broken System:

• How misaligned incentives in representation quietly cost players millions.

• Why removing regulation turned football advice into a “wild west.”

• What players should demand from agents, advisors, and intermediaries.

Business, Investing & Thinking Long-Term:

• When it makes sense for athletes to invest and when it really doesn’t.

• Why venture capital is a game of patience, not quick wins.

• Lessons from early investing successes and distorted perceptions of risk.

  
  

Leadership, Transition & Life After Football:

• How ownership, leadership, and culture shape careers on the pitch.

• Why preparing for retirement matters as much as preparing for matchday.

• The role of curiosity, structure, and purpose in building a second career.

  
  

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show:

Gemini Sports

We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/

Hello and welcome to our brand new show, The Breakdown. I’m Charlie Stebbings, and joining me on this ride is legendary sports executive Charlie Methven. With his boundless energy and unfiltered opinions, and my carefully constructed guiding influence, we’ll bring you the rundown on the week’s biggest sporting business stories.

For the first show, we’re extending the timeframe slightly to cover what has happened over the holiday period, including the departures of Amorim and Maresca, Brooks Koepka’s abandonment of the once promising LIV Golf project, and of course, the conclusion of the most disappointing Ashes Tour in memory… well for me at least.

This is Business of Sport: The Breakdown

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Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:45 The Managerial Merry-Go-Round

30:26 Saudi Investment In Elite Sport

43:37 Saudi’s Attention On Golf

44:44 The European Tour

01:03:09 Predictions On Test Match Cricket

01:05:27 Harry Brooks

01:09:09 The Physical Responsibility In Cricket

What does it cost for the biggest brands to sponsor the biggest sports? Why do they do it? How do they choose what to put their name to?

The money behind sport is a primary feature of the show, but it’s normally from the perspective of the sports property. How big a sponsorship can Liverpool attract and what does it do to the bottom line. So to kick off the new year, we thought we’d change that. Antoine Le Nel is the Chief Marketing Officer of Revolut, the global challenger bank now investing millions into multiple sports properties, most notably as Audi’s new title sponsor for their debut F1 season.

The reasoning behind this move, a look at how brands recognise value, how they justify spend; this was all part of a fascinating insight into the inflows of sport business. And it’s not just F1: women’s football, rugby, NFL, they’re all part of the growing portfolio Revolut are leveraging to develop the business in multiple markets. Antoine’s key explanation here is telling us why sport is such a powerful way for them and other top brands to do this.

On today’s show we discuss:

Why Revolut Went Big in Sport:

• How the Audi Revolut F1 partnership came together and why F1 is a “go big or go home” sponsorship environment.

• How Revolut’s growth strategy shifted five years ago from pure performance marketing to building a global brand.

• Why sport became a critical upper-funnel lever to build credibility, open new segments, and compete with traditional banks.

• The NBA partnership as the proof point that sport could deliver real ROI, not just awareness.

Global vs Local Sponsorship Strategy:

• Why Revolut splits its sports portfolio into two layers: global IPs to differentiate at scale, and local teams to drive cultural relevance.

• How operating in 39 markets gives Revolut a structural advantage when sponsoring truly global sports like Formula One.

• Why most competitors simply cannot afford global sponsorships and how Revolut “divides the cost by 20” internally.

The Future of Sports Sponsorship:

• Why teams must evaluate partners beyond cash, focusing on long-term IP growth and innovation.

• How tech brands like Revolut and Spotify are reshaping how clubs think about sponsorship.

• Why modern sponsorship is about partnership, product and shared growth, not logos and cheques.

  
  

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show:

Gemini Sports

We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/

Over the past year, we’ve gone inside football’s boardrooms, dressing rooms and balance sheets. This episode brings the most revealing moments together in one place.Welcome to The Business of Sport: Football Review.

Across this compilation, we bring together the best moments from our recent football conversations to explore how money really shapes the game. From transfer fees and player contracts to ownership structures and decision-making power, this episode looks at the forces operating behind the pitch.Featuring club executives and leaders from across the football pyramid, we dig into why wages inflate faster than revenues, how promotion and relegation transform balance sheets overnight, and why running a football club is as much about survival as success.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:34 Peter Kenyon - Fmr CEO of Man Utd & Chelsea

08:09 Liam Dooley - Shrewsbury Town CEO

14:22 Rick Parry - EFL Chair

24:25 Pablo Longoria - Marseille President

30:09 Ryan Sparks - Bradford City CEO

35:18 Ryan Bertrand - Fmr Premier League Player

39:30 Spencer Owen - Hashtag Utd Owner

Today, we’re doing something a little different. Welcome to the Business of Sport: F1 Review.

Over the past year, we’ve sat down with some of the most influential figures in Formula One. Team principals, world champions, and senior leaders shaping the sport behind the scenes. For this episode, we’ve handpicked the best moments from those conversations and brought them together into one definitive F1 compilation to enjoy over the festive period.

Across the episode, we dive into what actually separates winning teams from the rest of the grid. From culture and leadership, to marginal gains, long-term strategy, and the human pressures that define life at the very top of motorsport.

You’ll hear from voices including Nico Rosberg, Guenther Steiner, Claire Williams, James Vowles, and Zak Brown.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:42 James Vowles

15:07 Guenther Steiner

23:08 Zak Brown

27:03 Claire Williams

34:27 Nico Rosberg