The Lions' Pride

Another note...both Barca and RM are interested in Ivanovic. RM prepared to offer L15mil. CFC wants L23mil. Sounds like he'll be heading somewhere. I'd be sad to see him leave, but he'll see first team action at CB in either of those spots...which isn't guaranteed at CFC.

I really do think that leagues should enforce some kind of salary cap, or limit signings. A league like La Liga will always be Barca and Madrid. Occasionally there might be a down year for one of them and some team sneaks into the top two. Teams like City, Chelsea etc can just buy players up. City was also irrelevant for like its whole history and now some rich arab turns it into this juggernaut. This was just my, "I can't sleep" rant.

The idea has been batted around in Eufa circles, one proposal was to limit the number of international players to 5 per team, but that would be difficult with the Euro zone work rules. It would encourage development of young players and allow parity in the inner country leagues. While interesting, does not appear to have much legs.

German teams are restricted to being in the black and can not over spend like their English and Spanish counterparts. Hence, only one real giant in Bayern.

Their math is wrong. If a five year deal, total price would be around L86mil. Anyways, I've read that the agreed transfer price was L32mil, which is spread out over the life of his contract...so it's L6.4mil/yr. The agent fee can be split as well. His annual number against FFP will be in the L17mil range, which is enormous. Frankly, at first glance, I'm not a huge fan of this deal. This kid's upside is limitless, but that's a hefty price tag for an unproven peripheral player. I've also been quite disgusted at his public handling of the decision process. I hope that he becomes a great player for the club, but I'd also appreciate it if he and his father lay low for a little while now that this process is completed.

Who is bankrupt in the EPL? Rangers are bankrupt, but that's in Scotland. Aston Villa are in some trouble. But, the big clubs either have wealthy benefactors backing their purchases or enormous revenue streams to counteract the severity of the debt. I agree that all football clubs should be more financially prudent, but Italian football is in much worse condition than England. The two Spanish giants are also in a world of debt (specifically Barcelona) despite jaded media profit sharing and producing more quantity of home-grown talent. The remainder of La Liga (minus Malaga) couldn't even afford to pay their players at the beginning of last season. Yes, German clubs have been successful in prudence and development, but they are unique in that circumstance. Italy is mired in debt, decaying stadiums, aging icons on their last legs, and match fixing. They're also struggling to properly develop a new generation of talent. Spain is stuck with uneven dividend distribution and an enforced caste system with only two parties invited to the head of the table. Meanwhile, the rest of the league is struggling to keep its doors open. England is the billionaire's club, and Roman and the Sheikh are battling it out to prove whose wallet is thicker. Everyone else is trying to seduce a billionaire willing to splurge.

It's sick stuff, yet, we watch anyways. And I'm not sure how many would if it was about domestic league integrity and actually developing young talent.

UEFA FFP seeks to establish financial accountability with its football clubs. It is also attempting to discourage newly acquired clubs from massive sudden influxes of cash to distort the transfer market. The goal is to move clubs toward 'breaking even' by 2017-18 through a series of graduated debt allowances. If teams exceed the allowances, they are in danger of being restricted from CL and EL participation.

The program officially starts in January 2013, so clubs are getting their financial houses in order now. IIRC, the allowable debt ratio in 2013 is -L45mil. It shrinks every year until there is only a -L5mil threshold by 2017-18. However, there are several exceptions from a team's P&L sheet which do not count under FFP. The exceptions are too detailed to mention, but they include things like wages/fees from player contracts signed prior to 2010 as well as reinvestments into community development. For instance, CFC posted a L78mil loss in 2011, yet their FFP number was only -L8mil after exceptions and one time expenses.

Due to City's wage scale with newly signed contracts, they are technically in danger of exceeding the FFP guideline by 2013. However, there is also the stipulation that a club's situation will be reconsidered if a 'wealthy benefactor' is available to cover the debt. In other words, this program does much more to reinforce the existing caste system than actually even the playing field. The CFC's, City's, PSG's, Anzhi's, and Malaga's of the world...who influxed cash prior to FFP...will not be duplicated after the rules are fully enforced. Big clubs will stay big. It will be virtually impossible for small clubs to become big. That's what UEFA wants.

tdiddy said...

UEFA FFP seeks to establish financial accountability with its football clubs. It is also attempting to discourage newly acquired clubs from massive sudden influxes of cash to distort the transfer market. The goal is to move clubs toward 'breaking even' by 2017-18 through a series of graduated debt allowances. If teams exceed the allowances, they are in danger of being restricted from CL and EL participation.

The program officially starts in January 2013, so clubs are getting their financial houses in order now. IIRC, the allowable debt ratio in 2013 is -L45mil. It shrinks every year until there is only a -L5mil threshold by 2017-18. However, there are several exceptions from a team's P&L sheet which do not count under FFP. The exceptions are too detailed to mention, but they include things like wages/fees from player contracts signed prior to 2010 as well as reinvestments into community development. For instance, CFC posted a L78mil loss in 2011, yet their FFP number was only -L8mil after exceptions and one time expenses.

Due to City's wage scale with newly signed contracts, they are technically in danger of exceeding the FFP guideline by 2013. However, there is also the stipulation that a club's situation will be reconsidered if a 'wealthy benefactor' is available to cover the debt. In other words, this program does much more to reinforce the existing caste system than actually even the playing field. The CFC's, City's, PSG's, Anzhi's, and Malaga's of the world...who influxed cash prior to FFP...will not be duplicated after the rules are fully enforced. Big clubs will stay big. It will be virtually impossible for small clubs to become big. That's what UEFA wants.

sounds dodgy to me, as for Uefa can not mention a more corrupt organization. I can understand the wealthy benefactor to an extent ie Hoffenheim in BL, but I enjoy having parity in NFL, thought same would be good for Euro futboll. Hard to manage with so many clubs near bankruptcy, ie Spain and Italy. I am not a huge EPL fan and the idea of purchasing a team, I root for the underdog except Penn State and my home town teams. I understand your point, just do not think it is healthy for the game, the idea of financially ruined clubs like Barca and Real winning, is crazy, just supports our societal norms of spending more than we make.

Correct, Germany is not the norm. Germany has the benefit of bordering countries who have a wealth of talent so they can poach them and also they are a true melting pot. Look at the national team and you will see players who have fathers and mothers from different countries who have moved/immigrated to Germany. Or in my case lived their because of the military.

I don't think we are selling him anytime soon!

They also have a huge fan base for even the borderline teams in the first division, where as in Switzerland they have minimal support for even the biggest teams like FC Basel (32k stadium rarely sold out).

Bad call and now Brazil is up 1-0.

Terrible defense on the corner kick.

The CB's struggled tonight for sure. But Fabian Johnson is a revelation at LB. The offensive progress is encouraging. Gomez put in a tremendous shift. He works far harder and surely looks more confident than Jozy. I'm still not a huge fan of Jose Torres, but he likely wouldn't be in our top 11. All in all, there were still a lot of positives. CB's are an ongoing issue. Perhaps Goodson will get more minutes in the WCQ's.