Amid a chaotic start of the year for JJB Sports, the second-largest U.K. sports retailer (see previous issue of SGI Europe), it came as a relief this week that the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), the U.K.’s competition watchdog, didn’t have any issues with Sports Direct’s acquisition of a stake in JJB last year. The OFT started delving into the matter after Sports Direct, JJB’s leading rival in the U.K., bought a share of 4.7 percent in JJB for £3.4 million (€3.7m-$4.8m) last October, to check if this amounted to a merger situation which might distort the market. However, the OFT ruled this week that this was not the case. JJB has been under heavy pressure in the last weeks due to its deteriorating results, its debt situation, a share price that makes the company almost worthless and, to top it all, the revelation that Chris Ronnie, its chief executive, had lost his shareholding in the company due to a margin call by the U.K. arm of Kaupthing, the failed Icelandic bank. Pending the outcome of the JJB board’s investigation into the matter, Ronnie was suspended from his duties on Jan. 20.