The Fat el Hombre
Well-Known Member
Have a read of this. Great stuff
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9645786/Are-Chelsea-and-Real-Madrid-now-ruining-football?
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9645786/Are-Chelsea-and-Real-Madrid-now-ruining-football?
Back in January, the footballing world reacted with outrage at the astronomical bid for Kaka by Manchester City.
Now comes news that Real Madrid and Chelsea have followed suit with record bids for the AC Milan star.
The media, fans, owners, and managers must respond with the same denunciation that greeted City's attempt to sign the former World Footballer of the Year. Anything less, and a clear hypocrisy will be laid bare for all to see.
If you were one of those Chicken Littles talking about "the death of football" back in the winter, you'd better be experiencing those some apocalyptic visions this time around.
If Manchester City were ruining the game by offering a financially strapped club a lifeline with an obscene amount of money for its prized asset, then Real Madrid and Chelsea are putting the sport in the same danger.
If Manchester City were attempting to turn a great player into a mercenary by offering ridiculous wages, then both clubs currently involved with Kaka are guilty of the same offense.
The sad reality is that we won't see anything like the reaction we did to City's attempt to capture Kaka.
It's clear there are one set of rules for the royalty of football, and another set for the unwashed masses.
Manchester United can do all the ethically dubious poaching of young players from other clubs that it desires. Real Madrid can put together The Galacticos and people are starry-eyed.
Yet, when a club like Manchester City attempts to break up the "Big Four" cabal in the Premier League, suddenly they're demonized for not knowing —or at least not accepting — their station in life.
Fans of the Premier League often bemoan the stratified nature of the league, with the same four teams earning Champions League spots year after year, as they take turns winning titles (sorry, Liverpool. I guess your turn hasn't come yet).
Yet, people ignore the reality that the money is what drives success in football these days. The Big Four are the Big Four because of the financial resources they have.
The only way we'll see a shakeup in the Premier League is when other clubs match those four in financial commitment. Yet, any club that attempts to do so is universally chastised for stepping out of line, as Manchester City can tell you all too well.
How quickly we forget the history of Chelsea, who themselves are newcomers to the upper crust of world football. It wasn't until the club was the fortunate beneficiary of a similar takeover by a wealthy new owner who had the audacity to take on the status quo.
Hundreds of millions of pounds and years later, Chelsea have been transformed from fodder for English comedians into a genuine footballing power. Now, they're on the other side of that fence, apparently free to do as they see fit without fear of public condemnation.
While suffering the slings and arrows of the hypocritical media and fans, at least Manchester City can take comfort in the fact that the nouveau riche apparently are quickly accepted into footballing high society.
Five years from now, Manchester City will be the ones making "sensational" bids, while some other uppity wannabe is threatening the very existence of the sport with a comparable bid.
At least City supporters should be able to empathize with that club's supporters and reserve their worry and vitriol for something that actually deserves it.
The rest of you could use some of that perspective right about now.