The Liverpool soccer club has accepted Thailand's bid to buy a 30 percent stake in the English team, and the government plans to raise money for the purchase through a state-run lottery, officials said yesterday.
"In principle, they agreed to give it to us and now we are working on details," Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told reporters. "It has moved forward in a good way ... we still have to work out the details."
The billionaire tycoon-turned politician said he was contacted by the English Premier League team's officials Monday night via fax and e-mail and that the two sides still had four points to discuss, but that an agreement for the purchase ``should be finished by this week.''
PHOTO: AFP
"By June, things will probably be concluded officially," Thaksin added.
A spokeswoman at Liverpool FC said yesterday the club had nothing to add to a statement last week in which it said Thaksin's bid was being considered after a rival offer by English property magnate Steve Morgan was rejected.
Sports Authority of Thailand Governor Santhiparb Thechavanija said the Thai Cabinet yesterday approved a plan to raise 10 billion baht (US$250 million) through a government lottery to fund the purchase.
"It will take around three months to raise the funds," Santhiparb told reporters after a weekly Cabinet meeting.
About half of the funds will be used to set up a company to buy Liverpool's shares. The remaining 5 billion baht (US$125 million) will be used to finance lottery prizes and the company's management costs, he said.
It is expected that the Sports Authority of Thailand would hold a controlling 51 percent stake in the company that would buy Liverpool shares. The rest would be allocated to private investors.
Santhiparb refused to give the exact amount needed to buy the Liverpool stake but Thaksin has said that he had offered to pay up to 4.6 billion baht (US$115 million).
The one-time special sports lottery tickets would cost 1,000 baht (US$25) each, and every buyer will get a 200-baht (US$5) worth share in Liverpool, Santhiparb said.
He said the lottery prize would remain a secret for now. "The prize will be something you never expected," he said. "You won't believe it."
The Bangkok Post newspaper reported yesterday that the first prize would be 1 billion baht (US$25 million).
Santhiparb said he was flying to England later Tuesday to work out fine points of the purchase and to invite Liverpool striker Michael Owen and midfielder Stephen Gerrard to witness the signing ceremony in Thailand.
Meanwhile, a group of 12 senators issued an open letter to Thaksin to protest the move, saying the purchase would not be "a useful investment,'' and that the government should instead spend the funds on bettering the lives of Thai people, many of whom are impoverished.
"If the prime minister insists on buying the Liverpool share, the senators have no other choice but to submit a no-confidence motion against him," said letter.
Thaksin, who made his fortunes from his telecommunications business empire, first hinted that he would use his personal fortune to acquire the Liverpool shares, but later gave the deal a populist spin by saying all Thais should have part ownership in the team.
On Saturday, Thaksin said owning a stake in Liverpool could deliver economic benefits to local businesses through merchandising deals and help launch lucrative international careers for young Thai soccer players.
Thaksin also wants Liverpool to set up a soccer academy in Thailand as part of the deal.
The Club World Championship will replace the Toyota Cup starting in 2005, FIFA said Monday.
The world soccer body's executive committee said the competition will go ahead in Tokyo from December 11-18 featuring a new six-team format and with US$15 million prize money.
The six continental club champions will play a total of seven matches, with European and South American teams playing only two games. As seeded teams, they won't enter the competition until the semifinals in a bid to stave off potential player burn out and assuage club coaches.
European clubs have been strongly opposed to reviving the event, which they said would add too much to the workload of major clubs and place extra strain on overworked players.
The Club World Championship will signal the end of the Toyota Cup, a trophy that the European and South American champions compete for.
In its statement, FIFA added that it will cover costs for the competing teams and delegations participating, but that regulations concerning other club competitions will be amended to ensure winning teams participate.
These amendments are likely to be finalized over the coming weeks and will be in keeping with FIFA competition regulations.
In February, the executive committee had provisionally approved the Club World Championship format during a meeting in London.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter had originally wanted up to 16 teams to play.
Corinthians won the first Club World Championship in January 2000, beating fellow Brazilian club Vasco in Rio de Janeiro.
English giants Manchester United caused a stir in England when it skipped the FA Cup to play in the tournament, in which it fared poorly.
The second edition, scheduled for Spain in 2001, was canceled following the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner, ISL, and the tournament was shelved indefinitely.
Also Monday, FIFA approved dates for the World Youth Championship, the Confederations Cup and the Under-17 World Championship.
In 2005, the Netherlands hosts the youth tournament from June 10-July 2; Germany gets the Confederations Cup from June 15-29; and Peru will host the U17 worlds from Sept. 15-Oct. 2.
FIFA also said that it had lifted the suspension of the Guatemalan soccer association, and that starting in 2007 television rights to all tournaments will be open to separate public tender.
Leicester fires players
Relegated Leicester released 13 players Monday, including longtime Foxes Muzzy Izzet and Frank Sinclair.
Izzet, linked with Birmingham, spent nine seasons at Leicester, while Sinclair joined in 1998.
German midfielder Steffen Freund, Steve Guppy, Billy McKinlay, Tom Williamson, Callum Davidson, Alan Rogers, Andrew Impey, Nicolas Priet, Paul Murphy and Junior Lewis were the other players let go.
Top scorer Paul Dickov and defender Riccardo Scimeca are in talks to stay at the club but are also speaking with other teams, Leicester said on its Web site.
Les Ferdinand, 37, will be offered a new contract. Ferdinand, recovering from knee surgery, wants to play another season before retiring.
Leicester finished 18th in the Premier League, a year after gaining automatic promotion from Division One.
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