Saudi-backed Newcastle’s ownership called into question

By JAMES ROBSON
AP Soccer Writer

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The ownership of Saudi-backed Newcastle United was under scrutiny when Premier League chief executive Richard Masters was asked by a U.K. Member of Parliament if the organization was investigating the club’s backers. Masters told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee he was unable to comment. The question came after fresh uncertainty about who controls Newcastle. The club was bought for $409 million in 2021 with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund having an 80% ownership stake. The ownership has been brought into question after an American court document for Saudi-backed LIV Golf claimed the PIF should be regarded as “a foreign state.”