Saudi boxing chief pulls plug on Derby County takeover

Saudi Arabian boxing figure Turki Al-Sheikh has withdrawn from a deal to purchase English Championship football club Derby County, ending the Lion Sport consortium's bid to acquire a controlling interest in the club. The takeover had already received approval from both the Independent Football Regulator and the English Football League authorities before Al-Sheikh pulled out on Monday. He cited the lengthy approval process as the reason for the collapse, stating that the delayed sanction left insufficient time to prepare the team and club for the current season.