According to the BBC, the World Trade Organization report ruling that Saudi Arabia is behind pirate satellite station beoutQ says that “should the Premier League approve the Newcastle takeover by KSA, it would be acting inconsistently with its own decisions and factual evidence as part of the WTO proceedings”.
The WTO report says “should the Premier League approve the Newcastle takeover by KSA, it would be acting inconsistently with its own decisions and factual evidence as part of the WTO proceedings” #NUFC @BBCSport
— Ian Dennis (@Iandennisbbc) June 16, 2020
It’s due to be released to the public today, and while that hasn’t happened, the BBC appears to have gotten wind of it (the tweet has since been deleted).
The report could land a huge blow on the Public Investment Fund’s chances of owning Newcastle United, as the Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test frowns against piracy.
Magpies fans are disappointed with the report, and here is how some of them have reacted to it on Twitter:
Sounds like the takeover is dead in the water. Again. https://t.co/nGYPhvc1YS
— UnitedForNewcastle (@UtdForNewcastle) June 16, 2020
CANS (in the bin) https://t.co/pY66UZvEfA
— Neil Hall (@NeilH95) June 16, 2020
Stuck with Mike Ashley for the rest of my life. https://t.co/r2jSZneWpJ
— Trav Marchant (@TravMarchant) June 16, 2020
This is awful news. But shady as hell that the WTO is discussing the takeover when it is nothing to do with what they’re deciding on. Bizarre. https://t.co/nGRpOzvrsA
— Andy Burnham (@aj_burnham) June 16, 2020
Well then, let’s put this to rest https://t.co/JitCZMeH2f
— Darshan (@Daaarshan) June 16, 2020
I dont even care if this goes through or not, now 🤷♀️ https://t.co/8DbzhW2ZP9
— Kate Richards (@kater1984) June 16, 2020
KSA ARE NOT PIF however still the best way to stop piracy in Saudi is to deal with it at the top and letting them own a football team does this #nufc https://t.co/knpdSzmR56
— TalkNUFC (@TalkNUFC1) June 16, 2020
Okay so this is worrying. Though the WTO dispute is between two nation states, it could give the Premier League a route to reject the takeover. This is messy. https://t.co/BklG9S6P0f
— James Pearce (@jpearcejourno) June 16, 2020
That’s the end of that then. Typical Newcastle 🤦 https://t.co/Qzo71kXy42
— JR (@john_rootham) June 16, 2020
Some Newcastle fans reckon the fact that the report is a ruling about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and not PIF means the takeover shouldn’t be affected.
However, the PIF is the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund and is an investment arm of the Saudi state.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the chairman and a number of Saudi ministers sit on the board at PIF.
In the end, it’s still the Kingdom trying to buy the St. James’ Park outfit, and WTO report doesn’t look good.
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