Manchester United and Fulham kicked off the 2024-25 Premier League season on Friday, and United won 1-0 at Old Trafford on a late goal by Joshua Zirkzee.

In a bit of scheduling coincidence, the owners of the two clubs will square off again Saturday on the other kind of football field, as the Glazer family’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Jacksonville Jaguars, owned by Shahid Khan, in an NFL preseason game.

The Glazers and Khan are among nine American ownership groups of Premier League teams, which will have a full slate of games this weekend. The list includes newly promoted Ipswich Town, which is owned by American financial firms ORG, Bright Path Sports Partners and Avenue Sports. They are all chasing Manchester City, which has finished atop the EPL standings for four straight years.

The second division Championship also has nine teams controlled by Americans after Mark Attanasio recently increased his stake in Norwich City through his Norfolk Holdings, which first took a stake in the team in 2022 and will now own 85%.

Americans have invested heavily in English football teams over the past two decades, starting with Malcolm Glazer’s leveraged buyout in 2005 that valued Man United at £790 million ($1.4 billion at the time). Stan Kroenke started buying shares of Arsenal in 2007 and took full control in 2011 at a $1.2 billion valuation.

Man United ranked on top of Sportico’s global soccer team valuations at $6.2 billion, while Arsenal was eighth at $3.91 billion.

In 2010, John Henry’s Fenway Sports Group bought Liverpool for £300 million ($476 million at the time). FSG built a strong performer on and off the field, including three Champions League finals appearances in five years. The value is up more than tenfold to $5.11 billion and fourth overall.

Attanasio also owns MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers and follows a string of U.S. sports team owners to invest in the UK. They are attracted by the global reach of the clubs, but most of them want to see more restrictions on player spending, akin to the major leagues in North America. The lack of salary caps can trigger massive losses as teams spend in a fight to avoid relegation or gain promotion to the Premier League. At the top of the financial table, teams compete for a Champions League spot and to field the best squads to advance in European tournaments.

Only five English Premier League teams out of 20 made money after player trading during the 2022-23 season. The aggregate loss before taxes and finance costs was £530 million ($684 million based on current exchange rates), according to company filings. The NFL’s pre-tax profit: $4.6 billion.

Khan’s team investments offer a window into the economic structure of different sports leagues. In 2011, he spent $770 million to buy the Jaguars. The club turns a hefty profit each season that can top $100 million in a good year, and the Jags are now worth nearly $5 billion.

Two years after buying Jacksonville, Khan bought EPL club Fulham for more than $200 million. Fulham was relegated to the Championship the following season, where it has spent six of 11 seasons under Khan. He has piled up $500 million in operating losses in the London club, and the team is likely worth one-tenth of the Jaguars.

The lousy economic model that exists across European soccer explains why Manchester United and Real Madrid are the only soccer teams to crack the top 30 among the world’s most valuable sports franchises, which skews heavily toward the NFL with its strict salary cap and $400 million-a-year TV checks, along with a few NBA and MLB teams mixed in.

Americans can’t kick their UK soccer habit, though. Brit Steve Parish runs Crystal Palace, but American John Textor owns the largest stake at 45%, and private equity titans Josh Harris and David Blitzer each own 18%.

Textor wants his own UK club to control and has entered exclusive talks to buy Everton from Farhad Moshiri after a pair of failed attempts to buy the club by American firms 777 and Friedkin Group. Everton lost $107 million during the 2022-23 season, its sixth straight year of losses that totaled $623 million, based on current exchange rates. The club escaped relegation on the last day of the 2022-23 season and finished 15th last year. Yet still, there’s a Yank who wants to purchase it.

Members of minority groups in Bangladesh spoke to Fox News Digital about the violence and mistreatment they have faced following the government’s collapse earlier this month, all using false names for fear of reprisal.

Violence, even murder and the burning down of minority-owned businesses, places of worship and residences have been a major problem since the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown following violent protests. Bangladesh is 90% Muslim, with some Christians but mostly Hindus and Buddhists making up the rest of the population.

Sathya, a Hindu from Chittagong, told Fox News Digital that the Hasina government “wasn’t the best” towards the Hindu minority, pointing out cases of land-grabbing of Hindu homes and temples under her governance, but suggested that they faced better treatment than under other governments – “the lesser evil,” but only when “we are out of options.”  

“Hindus have always been the ‘scapegoats’ and were blamed whenever there was an economic crisis or other political issue that we had no control over,” Sathya said. Indian outlet the Deccan Herald reported that 278 Hindu-owned locations have been ransacked since Hasina fled the country. 

BANGLADESH PROTESTS THREATEN SAFETY OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES AS TEMPLES BURNED, HOMES RANSACKED

He claimed that if a Hindu home sat empty, squatters would intrude and start building, and the government and legal system would do little to help protect Hindu land rights. Mobs would walk in and take whatever they wanted, such as furniture, cash and food.

Even within the Muslim community, the Ahmadiya sect has faced persecution from the Sunni majority who call them “heretics,” Ali, told Fox News Digital. “Our group has also been increasingly targeted just like the Hindus and other religious minorities.”

A Bangladeshi citizen who now lives in the U.S., says that when he looks at his homeland, he sees “no law and order” and that “Hindus have to stay vigilant, especially at night, worried that our homes will be raided and looted.” 

“The government seems to not care about minorities,” he said while withholding his name. “A hotline was provided for Hindus to call if they are targeted, but nobody answers the phone number provided.” 

BANGLADESH STUDENT PROTESTERS TO MEET WITH MILITARY CHIEF AFTER OUSTING COUNTRY’S PM

“Even though the region in general is a Buddhist minority today, Buddhism originated not far from here in nearby Nepal and has had a very long history here and is one of the major world religions. We wonder why the rest of the world stays silent when we are in such a crisis,’ Rajarshi, told Fox News Digital. 

He felt that the latest violence portrays that any group that is not Sunni is not safe. “What’s the use of all of us having fought for independence from Pakistan if we are told we have no place in this country now?” 

In this handout photograph taken and released on July 25, 2024, by Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addresses the media at a vandalized metro station in Mirpur, after the anti-quota protests.  (Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office/AFP via Getty Images)

While Christians make up a tiny minority of the country’s population, Fox News Digital recently reported that the organization Open Doors, which tracks discrimination of Christians worldwide, ranked Bangladesh as having “very high” persecution levels, claiming that “converts to Christianity face the most severe restrictions, discrimination and attacks.”

“Religious beliefs are tied to the identity of the community, so turning from the locally dominant faith to following Jesus can result in accusations of betrayal,” the group wrote on its website. “Bangladeshi converts often gather in small house churches due to the risk of attack.”

PROTESTS SWEEP INDIA OVER RAPE AND MURDER OF DOCTOR

Earlier this week Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on social media platform X that he had spoken with the country’s interim leader Professor Muhammad Yunus, and the duo had “exchanged views on the prevailing situation.”

“Reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh,” Modi wrote. “He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh.” 

The Washington Post reported that Modi’s government had pressured the United States to ease up on criticism of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the Biden administration complied – even putting plans for further sanctions against the Bangladeshi government on hold. 

The U.S. State Department told Fox News Digital that “Our sustained engagement on democracy and human rights in Bangladesh and around the world speaks for itself,” and added that “We do not comment on our private diplomatic communications.”

DEATH TOLL FROM LANDSLIDE IN SOUTHERN INDIA REACHES 151 AS SEARCH OPERATIONS CONTINUE

Bangladesh re-elected Hasina’s Awami League party in January, extending its rule, which had started in 2008, prompting student protests at universities that ultimately spilled out into nationwide demonstrations against the party’s rule. 

Both the party and its leader have faced accusations of “iron-fisted” and authoritarian rule, with many claiming the 2014 and 2018 elections as “shams” since the opposition either boycotted or were reduced to a “hopeless minority,” according to the New Yorker. 

Nobel laureate and Chief adviser of Bangladesh’s new interim government Muhammad Yunus arrives to meet relatives of people who went missing during the tenure of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka on August 13, 2024.  (Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images)

Shrinking employment and high inflation marred the Awami League’s last term, and the economic stress proved too much for many, especially a new policy that implemented a quota for civil service work – thereby withholding coveted jobs in what the protesters claimed was a kleptocratic move. 

Ultimately, Hasina resigned and fled to India, taking many by surprise but allowing the protesters to have the change they wanted, which included putting humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus in place as the chief adviser to the interim government ahead of fresh elections in November.

Student protesters plan to create a new party to contest the elections and end the two-party monopoly that has burdened the country for almost two decades, Reuters reported. The student groups at the center of the protest want to talk with citizens across the country before deciding on their platform and will finalize their decision in a month. 

“We don’t have any other plan that could break the binary without forming a party,” Tamid Chowdhury, one of the student coordinators at the center of the push to oust Hasina, told reporters. 

Another student said that the “spirit of the movement was to create a new Bangladesh, one where no fascist or autocrat can return.” 

“To ensure that, we need structural reforms, which will definitely take some time,” Nahid Islam, a protester who took up a role in Yunus’s temporary cabinet, explained. 

Reuters contributed to this report. 

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — As mediators expressed optimism for an imminent cease-fire deal, violence raged on Saturday in the Gaza Strip, where an Israeli airstrike killed at least 18 people, all from the same family.

The attack came days after the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza announced the death toll surpassed 40,000 in the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war, and just hours after officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar wrapped up two days of cease-fire talks with a message of hope that a deal could be reached.

A joint statement from the three mediators said a proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas was presented and they expected to work out the details of how to implement the possible deal next week in Cairo.

The mediation efforts were aimed not just at securing the release of scores of Israeli hostages and stopping the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where aid and health workers fear a possible polio outbreak. It is also aimed at tamping down regional tensions that have threatened to explode into a broader war amid fears that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders.

The airstrike in Gaza early Saturday morning hit a house and an adjacent warehouse sheltering displaced people at the entrance of the town of Zawaida, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter at the hospital counted the fatalities as they were brought in.

Among those killed was a wholesaler identified as Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, who coordinated with the Israeli military to bring meat and fish to Gaza. The dead also included his two wives, 11 of their children ages 2 to 22, the children’s grandmother, and three other relatives, according to a fatality list provided by the hospital.

“He was a peaceful man,” said Abu Ahmed, a neighbor who was slightly wounded in the attack.

More than 40 civilians were sheltering in the house and warehouse at the time of the strike, he said.

Associated Press footage showed bulldozers removing rubble from the heavily damaged warehouse, and trucks that Abu Ahmed said were used to bring meat and fish to Gaza from Israel.

The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, said it was checking the report. It said Saturday that it was continuing attacks on militants in central Gaza, including one seen launching rockets at troops.

Meanwhile, another mass evacuation was ordered for areas in central Gaza. In a post on X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Palestinians in areas in and around the urban Maghazi refugee camp should leave. He said Israeli forces will operate in these areas in response to Palestinian rocket fire.

The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced by the fighting, often multiple times, and around 84% of Gaza’s territory has been placed under evacuation orders by the Israeli military, according to the United Nations.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 to Gaza. More than 100 were released in a November cease-fire, and around 110 are believed to still be inside Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third are dead.

Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 Hamas militants, without providing evidence.

Mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for a lasting cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

But efforts took on new urgency in recent weeks as diplomats hoped a deal would persuade Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut and of Hamas’ top political leader in an explosion in Tehran that was widely blamed on Israel.

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since the war started, and an Israeli strike Saturday killed at least 10 Syrians there, including a woman and her two children, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot.

An American official said Friday that the cease-fire deal presented to the two sides bridges all the gaps between Israel and Hamas. In what appeared to be a sign of confidence, mediators were beginning preparations for implementing the proposal even before it was approved, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with rules set by the White House.

The official said an “implementation cell” was being established in Cairo to focus on logistics — including freeing hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and ensuring the terms of the pact are met.

But Hamas cast doubt on whether an agreement was near, saying the latest proposal diverged significantly from a previous iteration they had accepted in principle.

The Israeli prime minister’s office issued a statement saying it “appreciates the efforts of the U.S. and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal.”

Both sides agreed in principle to a plan announced on May 31 by U.S. President Joe Biden. But Hamas has proposed amendments, and Israel has suggested clarifications, leading each side to accuse the other of trying to tank a deal.

The U.S. official said the latest proposal is the same as Biden’s, with some clarifications based on ongoing talks. The way it’s structured poses no risk to Israel’s security but enhances it, the official added.

Hamas has rejected Israel’s demands, which include a lasting military presence along the border with Egypt and a line bisecting Gaza where it would search Palestinians returning to their homes to root out militants.

But Israel showed flexibility during the talks on retreating from the border corridor, and a meeting between Egyptian and Israeli military officials was scheduled for the following week to agree on a withdrawal mechanism, according to two Egyptian officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private negotiations.

Israel insisted on keeping control of the road bisecting Gaza, but American mediators vowed to return to the talks next week with a compromise on that demand, the officials said.

As part of an increased wave of diplomacy aimed at securing the deal, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo on Saturday.

Séjourné and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with officials in Israel on Friday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken planned to travel to Israel over the weekend and was expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.

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Magdy reported from Cairo.