Almost a quarter of Europe’s top division soccer clubs reported major financial losses last year, UEFA said Thursday, with a third of the teams in the rich and successful English Premier League losing at least 20 percent of income.
UEFA secretary general David Taylor warned a conference on financial responsibility in sport that more red ink is expected this year as leagues feel the full weight of the sputtering global economy.
Usually dislike these woe are me type of articles. The reality is even if UEFA introduces some measure to bring in cost certainty like the NFL/NBA/NHL, teams will start finding loopholes. Look at the NHL for example. After shutting down the league for a season and finally getting a salary cap, owners are still spending like crazy. Now NHL teams offer 12 year contracts to players and front load the contract hence making the per year salary cap hit easier to handle. Bunch of hypocrites if you ask me.
Four years ago everyone was complaining about Chelsea’s spending. Where they successful? Yes. They did become an unstoppable force? No. Money helps no doubt but spending it alone doesn’t necessarily produce results. Trying to turn football into some socialist state isn’t going to stop the rich from getting richer. Just means they are going to do it in different ways.
Emmanuel Adebayor has been handed a three-match ban by the Football Association following an incident involving former Arsenal team-mate Robin van Persie.
Could see the FA throwing Manchester City a bone and reducing the ban to two games. What I can’t see however is Adebayor getting this ban lifted Ala Eduardo considering the back history between Adebayor and Arsenal.
Chelsea announce Gourlay as Kenyon’s replacement
Chelsea have announced that their chief operating officer Ron Gourlay will replace the departing Peter Kenyon as the club’s new chief executive.
Kenyon confirmed on Wednesday that he would be relinquishing his role at the end of October, taking up a position as a non-executive director, and Chelsea have wasted little time in announcing his successor.
In Gourlay, they have promoted from within to bestow huge responsibility on a man who has spent five years at the club in a variety of roles. He has also worked in senior positions with Manchester United and Umbro – two of Kenyon’s former employers.
Chelsea didn’t even wait until the body got cold before naming Kenyon’s replacement. Usually this would mean a move to oust Kenyon had been in the works for some time.
Former West Ham defender Lucas Neill is set to undergo a medical at Everton today. Sky Sports
With Everton bringing in the likes of Neil, John Heitinga and Sylvain Distin there are going to mix and match for the next little bit to see which group makes up for the loss of Joleon Lescott.
Valencia’s Spanish forward David Silva has admitted he is interested in a move to Manchester United. Daily Mirror
Silva is a great player but not quite sure the physical nature of the English game would suit him.
Aston Villa are hoping to beat Chelsea and Manchester City in the race to sign Feyenoord’s £5million-rated Netherlands Under-21 midfielder Jonathan De Guzman. Daily Mail
Considering the transfer ban not surprised Aston Villa can beat out Chelsea. Big fan of De Guzman and it’s only a matter of time before he moves on to greener pastures.
Liverpool target Angel Di Maria has had his buy-out clause increased to £40m by Portuguese club Benfica as they brace themselves for a bid from the Premier League side. Daily Mirror
Don’t picture Benfica bracing themselves for a £40 million bid from Liverpool anytime soon. Another player who in a year or two will make the step up in leagues.
Everton are giving a trial to Colo Colo’s 18-year-old Chilean striker Nicolas Millan, who has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo. Daily Mail
Anyone who has played football manager is well aware of the skills (video game wise) Millan has. The Cristiano Ronaldo comparison is a bit rich however.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced he can persuade midfielder Paul Scholes to put his retirement plans on hold in favour of one more year at Old Trafford. Daily Mirror
Don’t picture Sir Alex doing this before Scholes scored mid week in the Champions League.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has promised that investment in the club’s new £30m training complex will not harm Harry Redknapp’s team-building programme. Daily Mirror
Considering the money Tottenham received last year in the transfer market don’t picture Harry Redknapp will have to deal with lack of funds anytime soon.
Portsmouth have put Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane on a special fitness programme in a bid to get him fit for the club’s battle to get off the bottom of the Premier League. Daily Mirror
It says something if Portsmouth is counting on Aruna Dindane to lift them out of the basement.
- It wouldn’t shock me to see some of people critical of Jose Mourinho come out of the woodwork after Inter’s performance against Barcelona. Keeping Barcelona off the score board is an achievement in itself but the whole game Inter looked timid. Despite great performances from Walter Samuel and Lúcio, Inter looked like a prize who has knock out power but refresh to slug it out.
- At the end of the day moral victories don’t mean much but good job Debrecen going into Anfield and making a decent showing of itself. Most teams usually lift their game up considering the stage and knowing it’s the first Champions League group stage game played in Debrecen history.
- Arsenal breathing a huge sigh of relief. Away losing to Manchester United and Manchester City i’m sure Arsenal fans were hoping to roll over Standard Liege. While things didn’t go to plan nice come back from Arsenal going down 2-0 to win 3-2. Again my theory of how scoring early against elite teams often comes back to haunt them.
- Mentioned at some point Luis Fabiano is going to stop scoring but it wasn’t this afternoon. Another goal for the Brazilian international leading Sevilla to a 2-0 victory against Unirea Urziceni.
Chelsea have announced the shock news that chief executive Peter Kenyon will be leaving the club at the end of October.
Kenyon, who relinquished his role at Manchester United when agreeing to join Chelsea in the early months of Roman Abramovich’s reign in 2003, will continue to represent the club as a non-executive director and at various European committees.
When something like this happens out of the blue it can only be one of two reasons. Either Peter Kenyon was pushed out by Roman Abramovich or Kenyon thinking Chelsea is a sinking ship and decided to jump off. Only in the coming weeks or even years will the whole story be revealed.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reopened his feud with Manchester City boss Mark Hughes following Emmanuel Adebayor’s alleged stamp on Robin van Persie on Saturday. Wenger, who used to accuse Hughes’ Blackburn side of being too physical, said: “You ask 100 people, 99 will say it is very bad and the hundredth will be Mark Hughes.” The Sun
One of the best lines I’ve heard in along time. Going to be laughing over this one for a couple of days. Good job Wenger, only thing missing now is a food fight.
City are in talks with their legal team in a bid to save Adebayor from a potential four-match suspension following Football Association charges of violent conduct and improper conduct as a result of his actions against the Gunners. Daily Telegraph
They should of taken notes on how Arsenal got Eduardo’s two match UEFA ban over turned. I would be shocked if Adebayor didn’t get some sort of punishment. Then again figured Eduardo would be watching tonight’s Champions League game from home.
Inter Milan’s former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says Fabio Capello “knows nothing about football” after the England coach said it was imperative for the Serie A champions to win the Champions League this season. Daily Mirror
It’s safe to say at this point if you are Italian, Mourinho does not like you.
New Portsmouth owner Sulaiman Al Fahim is adamant the Fratton Park club will have money to spend in the January transfer window but Pompey’s chief executive Peter Storrie says the club has had no new funds made available. The Sun
Having money is one thing but at this rate who in their right mind would play for Portsmouth at this point?
Sorry for not having this up earlier. Went to a local watering hole to watch this afternoon’s Champions Leagues games instead of pacing around watching the games by myself.
- Read this weekend how Cristiano Ronaldo was anxious to live up to his hefty price tag. After reading a couple of paragraphs quickly rolled my eyes. This is the same Ronaldo who had an entire country hating him after the 2006 World Cup. Don’t think the pressure of playing with some of the world’s best players keeps him up late at night. For most players four goals in three goals would have everyone applauding. In Ronaldo’s case if he doesn’t score this weekend I’m sure the questions will arise again.
- You know when Ronaldo has official found his form when he starts to find the range with his free kicks. Sure the second goal should of been saved by the goal keeper but no disputing the class of his first goal.
- Too bad Eduardo got his two game ban overturned as Zurich’s Alexandre Alphonse should of joined him. Clear dive which lead to Zurich’s first goal.
- In American football each coach has it’s specific role. Be it an offensive or defensive coordinator as an example. If football followed the same kind of coaching model a set plays goal could make a lot of money teaching these Real Madrid players who to defend set pieces.
- Credit to FC Zurich as the score flattered Real Madrid to a degree. They could of rolled over and played dead in the second half but they came back with two quick goals to give Real Madrid a brief scare in the second half.
- Naturally the weekend I write off Paul Scholes he scores in his next game. Mind you I could of scored that header.
- Was happy to see Nani set up Scholes goal. Just about everyone ripped his play last season with good reason but players who can make something out of nothing are rare.
- Not easy playing anywhere in Turkey on a European night. Wasn’t surprised Manchester United were giving a run for their money. Remember two years when Fenerbahce defeated Chelsea at home in the knockout stages.
- Damn you Nicolas Anelka as Chelsea edged Porto 1-0 in a game they could of easily gotten something out of.
- When this group was announced I didn’t like Porto’s chances as Chelsea are the top dogs and Atletico Madrid are in a perfect spot to avenge last season’s knockout round exit to Porto. Despite this feeling it does bode well for Porto that Atletico Madrid could only manage a 0-0 draw against APOEL.
- Read how Ciro Ferrara apologized for his teams play against Bordeaux. It didn’t shock me at all that the French champions where able to walk away with a split of the points. Laurent Blanc knows Italian football quite well from his time playing with Napoli and Inter. Add to this Diego out for Juventus and a draw could easily been seen as a fair result.
- I’m sure Bayern Munich wanted to forget about their last Champions League games against Barcelona last year. No better way to put that performance into distant memory than playing against Maccabi Haifa and coming away with a 3-0 win. After an awful start to the season don’t imagine many teams are looking to line up against Bayern Munich at the moment.
- Super Pippo is a fitting nickname for A.C Milan great Filippo Inzaghi. Two goals today to lift A.C Milan out of their funk. At some point however you really want to see one of their younger players set up in a big match. (Looking at you Pato.)
Manchester United striker Michael Owen’s 2010 World Cup hopes have been hit after he was told by Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson he will only be used as a back-up striker. The Sun
Don’t know why this is making it as news right now. Just about everyone could of figured out Owen was going to play the same role Tevez had last season.
Blackburn defender Michel Salgado will try to convince his former Real Madrid team-mate David Beckham to join him at Ewood Park. Beckham is keen to move to Europe from Los Angeles Galaxy in January. The Sun
Does Beckham laugh at this idea during the call or be polite and wait until the call is over to do so?
United, meanwhile, want Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor banned from the teams’ Premier League meeting on Sunday after his alleged stamp on Arsenal’s Robin van Persie. The Sun
I’m sure Manchester United is looking out for Arsenal’s best interest in wanting Adebayor to miss a few games.
Portsmouth boss Paul Hart says he does not fear the sack, despite presiding over the club’s worst start to a season in their 111-year history. Daily Star
Come December i’d be shocked if Paul Hart is still in charge. The question is what poor soul is going to replacing Hart? Can’t be too many A list coaching candidates lined up for the job.
England bosses have sent a list of demands they want for their South Africa World Cup base – including a computer games arcade. Manager Fabio Capello wants to ensure his players do not get bored and has asked for a special room in their hotel with a Wii, a Playstation and other games. (Daily Mirror)
Figured you all wanted to know. Have a feeling certain players may also request a room with a stripper pole.
Inter Coach Jose Mourinho Will Welcome Back Barcelona Star Ibrahimovic With A Hug
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be welcomed back to Inter by one person, at least…
Jose Mourinho is ready to give Zlatan Ibrahimovic a hug when the striker returns to Inter on Wednesday with Barcelona and has no hard feelings towards his former talisman.
Any smart Inter fan should know good business when they see it. The loss of Ibrahimovic has been soften by the excellent form of Samuel Eto’o since his arrival in Italy. Both Barcelona and Inter are better teams as a result of this summer’s massive transfer as each player needed a fresh start.
Eduardo wins appeal over Champions League ban
Arsenal striker Eduardo has won his appeal over a two-match ban for diving during the Champions League play-off win over Celtic.
Milan Should’ve Been More Patient With Yoann Gourcuff – Bordeaux Coach Laurent Blanc
The French champions are reaping the benefits of the Rossoneri’s desire for instant results…
Yoann Gourcuff will return to Italy with Bordeaux as they face Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and coach Laurent Blanc is glad that Milan did not persevere with the 23-year-old.
With the form Gourcuff has displayed in the last twelve months he would of been a pretty good successor to Kaka. A.C Milan letting Gourcuff go on loan last year wasn’t dumb. Giving Bordeaux a 15 million euro buy out figure for Gourcuff was. The minute last year ended Bordeaux quickly paid out that 15 million and Gourcuff was happy to sign on long term.
