BluessinceHydeRoad
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 26 Mar 2012
- Messages
- 2,562
Re: City & FFP (continued)
I do not believe that City have a problem over FFP. My basic contention is that you are wasting your time, in a Western European, capitalist economy, trying to stop a fabulously rich individual, backed by massive business expertise, succeeding in whatever area of economic activity they choose. Sheikh Mansour has already transformed City from "perennial underachievers" to serial trophy winners, and he's only done the easy bit so far. If UEFA determine to resist his advance they will be alienating someone it is better not to alienate (especially after a pinch), someone on first name terms with every head of state in the western world and someone playing a leading role in the development of club football in the USA, Australia and Asia. He is proving that the investment model is benefitting football all over the world while UEFA is determined to defend a restrictive, un adventurous philosophy that football is not about glory, about winning and dreaming, but about the thrill of balancing the books. Yet even within these parameters he's shown that he can bring in better players playing better football in a better stadium in need of enlarging because of the larger numbers wishing to watch. He is better at the cartel's game than they are. There seems little they can do about these new deals; if they try they will be alienating their own sponsors and risking the real wrath of the courts. And Sheikh Mansour will be developing new revenue streams, City and CFG will be even wealthier.
Why might Platini be risking such folly? Apparently because of an agreement with the ECA, or at least those clubs of the old G14, clubs who threatened to secede and set up their own league if they did not get their way. This threat is hollow now. FFP is to "stop" City, PSG, Monaco and one or two clubs from the old Soviet Union. The latter appear not to be a real threat because their funding is irregular, but the first three certainly are. But to whom? It was Sylvio Berlusconi who first mooted the idea of financial regulation. His club were European champions at the time. What effect would a threat to withdraw from the CL have now! Manchester United's position is a tad weaker than it was 8 years ago, and does Platini have to take any notice of Arsenal and their superb record? Real and Barca seem to value the benefits of domestic rivalry to secede, which leaves only Bayern and they may decide a break away league of them and a handful of second rate, CL non-qualifiers is not an attractive prospect.
Platini's lukewarm defence of FFP recently may be because he believes it is time to ditch the old elite in favour of the rising forces, especially as two of them are French and the other is already taking the first steps to genuine globalisation. If he hasn't taken such a decision yet, he should very quickly. And if the old clubs do secede the Sheikh can put a comforting arm round his shoulders and whisper a comforting, "Don't worry, Michel my old friend, we'll sort out a few big new sponsors for the CL...."
I do not believe that City have a problem over FFP. My basic contention is that you are wasting your time, in a Western European, capitalist economy, trying to stop a fabulously rich individual, backed by massive business expertise, succeeding in whatever area of economic activity they choose. Sheikh Mansour has already transformed City from "perennial underachievers" to serial trophy winners, and he's only done the easy bit so far. If UEFA determine to resist his advance they will be alienating someone it is better not to alienate (especially after a pinch), someone on first name terms with every head of state in the western world and someone playing a leading role in the development of club football in the USA, Australia and Asia. He is proving that the investment model is benefitting football all over the world while UEFA is determined to defend a restrictive, un adventurous philosophy that football is not about glory, about winning and dreaming, but about the thrill of balancing the books. Yet even within these parameters he's shown that he can bring in better players playing better football in a better stadium in need of enlarging because of the larger numbers wishing to watch. He is better at the cartel's game than they are. There seems little they can do about these new deals; if they try they will be alienating their own sponsors and risking the real wrath of the courts. And Sheikh Mansour will be developing new revenue streams, City and CFG will be even wealthier.
Why might Platini be risking such folly? Apparently because of an agreement with the ECA, or at least those clubs of the old G14, clubs who threatened to secede and set up their own league if they did not get their way. This threat is hollow now. FFP is to "stop" City, PSG, Monaco and one or two clubs from the old Soviet Union. The latter appear not to be a real threat because their funding is irregular, but the first three certainly are. But to whom? It was Sylvio Berlusconi who first mooted the idea of financial regulation. His club were European champions at the time. What effect would a threat to withdraw from the CL have now! Manchester United's position is a tad weaker than it was 8 years ago, and does Platini have to take any notice of Arsenal and their superb record? Real and Barca seem to value the benefits of domestic rivalry to secede, which leaves only Bayern and they may decide a break away league of them and a handful of second rate, CL non-qualifiers is not an attractive prospect.
Platini's lukewarm defence of FFP recently may be because he believes it is time to ditch the old elite in favour of the rising forces, especially as two of them are French and the other is already taking the first steps to genuine globalisation. If he hasn't taken such a decision yet, he should very quickly. And if the old clubs do secede the Sheikh can put a comforting arm round his shoulders and whisper a comforting, "Don't worry, Michel my old friend, we'll sort out a few big new sponsors for the CL...."